When Will the Moon Rise?
by CarsonK
Summary: NaruSasu. After three years Naruto and Sakura finally find Sasuke and bring him back to Konoha. Naruto must come to terms with a hostile village while the Akatsuki come after him and his loved ones. *complete but under revision*
1. Chapter 1

I

Naruto looked up from the hole in the ground in which he, Sai, Yamato, and Sakura had found themselves, surrounded by debris from the explosion. Sheer walls rose up from the stone-tiled floor, crowned by the blue of the mid-day sky. He felt the cool wind blow against him and make the stifling heat of the underground tunnels slowly fade away, but he did not enjoy the feeling for long because of who stood upon the rim above. It was Sasuke, but not the same one that he remembered from three years ago. He was taller. He was totally indifferent in his facial expressions to those below, and a sword hung behind him, hidden behind the loose clothing he war. Naruto clenched his fists and grimaced at the indifference in the cold, almost blak eyes above, because he could not believe his friend would not even show surprise.

Sasuke disappeared, or at least to Naruto's eyes, and he now stood directly in front of him, placing his arm on Naruto's shoulder then leaning forward to whisper. Naruto's eyes widened and his heartbeat picked up as he realized how fast Sasuke had become over the past three years. Thinking of how strong he might be almost frightened Naruto.

Sasuke said, "You want to be the hokage, so you should've spent all of this time training. Isn't that right, Naruto?"

"Someone who can't even save one friend will never be the hokage. Isn't that right, Sasuke?" Naruto said, staring straight ahead.

"Then die," Sasuke said.

He drew out the sword sheathed behind him and held it forward to stab Naruto, but he froze with the sword prepared and let his head droop down a little farther, almost resting on Naruto's shoulder. Confronted with this new Sasuke, Naruto could not move and just closed his eyes in anticipation of the blow. He waited for the attack that he could not dodge, but it seemed like forever was passing. He turned his head and opened his mouth as if to speak and ask why Sasuke was hesitating. The words he heard stopped any vocalization.

"I…I…can't…" Sasuke said as Naruto saw Sakura's hand appear, glowing green, and touch Sasuke's neck, making him go completely limp.

He fell into Naruto's arms and dropped his sword, leaving Naruto stunned while Sakura yelled at him.

She said, "Move, Naruto! We have to get him out of here!"

"Yeah, Naruto, we'll hold those two off and rendezvous back at the fire nation border!" Yamato said.

Sai nodded to Yamato and pulled out one of his scrolls to use choju giga, causing the ink drawings to come to life, while Yamato made the signs to summon three of his wood clones to hold off Orochimaru and Kabuto, whose chakra Naruto could feel approaching. Naruto did not need any more of a hint, as he and Sakura jumped out of the pit to the dry plain above. He had thrown Sasuke over his shoulder, trying to be gentle as he ran for the edge of the forest with Sakura's footsteps close behind him, focusing chakra in his legs to move faster across the plain. He looked to his left and saw Sakura with tears streaming down her face. He realized he was crying too from the cool stream which fell down his cheek, and he did not bother wiping away any of his tears. He finally had gotten Sasuke back.

"I promised, Sakura, and I meant it! We have Sasuke back," he said.

"Thank you so much, Naruto," Sakura said.

She wiped away her tears and looked ahead. Naruto noticed they had reached the edge of the tree line, so he laid Sasuke down for just a moment as he made nine kage bunshin. He had to distract Orochimaru when he drew closer. He had them put on henge of him and Sakura carrying Sasuke, and they immediately sped off into the woods. Sakura smiled.

"You really have gotten smarter, Naruto, since so long ago," she said and laughed a little.

"You have too, Sakura. We've all come along way," Naruto said, "even Sasuke."

She turned to him, looking at Sasuke then looking away suddenly and not speaking. Naruto realized that he had touched a nerve, so he tried to say something else. Sakura still did not handle conversation about Sasuke well.

"Sa – Sakura, I…" Naruto said.

Before he could get anything more out, Sakura spoke quietly.

"He has changed, so much, but we found him. Still, we shouldn't talk now, let's get out of here," she said.

Naruto almost spoke again, but he realized her urgency was right. He threw Sasuke back onto his shoulder and jumped into the trees ahead with Sakura close behind. Naruto looked back and saw Sai and Yamato running across the open ground with explosions hiding the events farther back, and he did not worry.

"Naruto, we slowed them down, go on a head. We'll hold up the rear!" Yamato said.

Naruto said, "We'll see you at the border, Yamato."

He did not worry about them, because they could handle themselves. Now it was his priority to take Sasuke home.

"Sakura, how long will he be asleep?" he said.

"I temporarily put him into a coma. He won't wake for at least a week," Sakura said.

Naruto could see Sasuke's face bobbing in and out of his view as he leaped from branch to branch. He did not want it to take so long, but he could wait. He had missed his best friend more than anything since Sasuke left him and Sakura behind. He had made good on his promise. He had not let his bond with Sasuke break. He smiled slightly then focused on what was ahead, barely dodging a low hanging branch, tears still streaming.

* * *

><p>1 month earlier<p>

* * *

><p>Naruto ran as fast as he could to the Ichiriku ramen stand. It was a sunny day outside with few clouds, and he could feel sweat beginning to drip down his body despite using chakra to minimize the physical was angry for being thirty minutes late after Kakashi holding him to train for extra time. He saw the stand right up ahead and turned the corner sprinting, only to run into someone who was just walking out of the place. They both fell in the opposite directions and sat dazed before the brown-haired man with a scar on the bridge of his nose he had crashed into looked at Naruto and broke into a smile, laughing a little.<p>

"Naruto, I know you're late, but you don't have to try to kill me getting here!" Iruka said.

"Iruka sensei! Sorry about that, Kakashi kept me later than I wanted to so I tried to get here as fast as I could," Naruto said, rubbing his head and grinning.

Naruto shook a little from something more than physical exertion. He had been talking aloud to his mirror for hours that morning to get what he wanted to say just right, and his nerves had not gotten any better despite him knowing that Iruka would be understanding to him. He had always looked out for Naruto since he was just a kid. Naruto took a deep breath to calm his nerves as he watched Iruka begin to speak.

He said, "I was just about to go looking for you. Just relax. Three years you're gone, but you're still the same crazy kid I had to teach,"

Naruto also stood up, grinning widely and putting up his usual, jubilant exterior to mask his inner turbulence.

He said, "Oh come on, I'm not exactly the same, sensei! Now let's get some ramen. I haven't eaten since yesterday, and nothing makes me feel better than a bowl of Ichiraku ramen. I can't get enough since I've gotten back home."

Iruka shook his head.

"You're still as hungry as you always were, too," he said.

"You try living without this stuff for two and a half years and tell me you don't want to eat it every day," Naruto said.

Iruka leaned forward and looked at Naruto, squinting a little bit. Naruto began to worry that Iruka was onto him, but he kept his smile in place. After a few awkward seconds Iruka leaned back and laughed. Naruto smiled more sincerely.

Iruka said, "Ok, ok. Let's get some ramen."

They both stepped into the ramen stand, brushing aside the streamers that hung in front of the stand. A grey haired older man and his brown haired daughter stood in the back over a stove and some pots and pans. The older man turned to the new comers and smiled, lifting up a large wooden spoon as an aroma of cooking meat and boiling noodles spilled over the two customers. Naruto's stomach growled audibly, and his hunger almost took precedent over what he came to talk about.

"Naruto! Already back for more after yesterday, are you? It's always nice to have you back," the older man said.

Naruto smiled back and said, "Yeah, I'm back, and I'm so hungry. Give me a bowl of miso with pork slices. My friend right here will get the bill."

He elbowed Iruka, and he turned and looked at Naruto, sighing and making the boy scratch his head nervously. Naruto knew he would not refuse to foot the bill.

"You know, Naruto, that's not very nice to do when you're seeing your old teacher for the first time in awhile," he said, "I'll have the same."

"We'll have it right out!" the brunette daughter said,

Naruto watched them go to the back and start to get the noodles ready in the little, wooden stand. He thought he would drool over the counter if they would not cook quickly. Kakashi had not let him eat anything, keeping him training all day, and Naruto had his infamously endless appetite. However, he was not here for that. He had to talk to Iruka while the employees cooked.

"Iruka sensei…" Naruto said, saying it not very loudly and scooting a little towards Iruka.

He turned to him and cut him off, but Naruto kept looking away at some invisible point in space.

"Naruto, there's a new restaurant in town you just have to try! Next time we eat we should meet there with the whole group. They have everything from ramen to bar-b-q," Iruka said.

Naruto forced a smile and said, "That does sounds really good, sensei. I'm sure Chouji's team would love to eat there with us too…

"Oh!" Iruka said, "We've also renovated the Academy. I want you to come by and see how much it's changed, for nostalgia's sake. There's so much you still haven't seen since you've been busy with training and missions your whole time home, Naruto."

"I'll have to go take a look at it, Iruka sensei, but…" he took in a breath and let it out slowly, "I need to talk to you about something."

Naruto had a harder time getting his thoughts together than he had predicted. Iruka narrowed his eyes, making him feel pressured.

He said, "What is it, Naruto?"

"I need to talk to you. I need to talk about…Sasuke," he said.

"What about Sasuke, Naruto?" Iruka said.

Naruto took in a deep breath and tensed his jaw. He tried to speak, but he could not. He closed his eyes and shook his head to make himself focus. Then he stuttered out the beginning of what he had been mulling over for a years.

He said, "I-I don't know how to say it right, really, sensei. I've just been thinking about Sasuke and how we were…such good friends. I feel like I miss our times together more than anything. My point is, I think I felt…more for him than just friendship. D-do you know what I mean?"

Naruto paused and scratched his head while thinking of what else to say. Iruka did not notice the bowl of ramen placed in front of him and was just staring at Naruto, and Naruto was visibly shaking.

"I think I like and liked him, like Sakura does, and I think Sasuke liked me too," he paused for a moment, "I don't know if he does now. I've never really thought of it this way, but it's just been something I thought about a lot lately. That's why I miss him so much and won't give up on him, because he's my most important person and bond. He's like a brother in a way but more than that. Is it ok to feel that for another guy, Iruka sensei? Is it ok to lo-,"

Iruka cut off the beginning of the ramble, and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder to pull him around, making him look into his eyes as he spoke and leaned in to emphasize his point. Naruto could not stand to look into those brown eyes and looked down at the ground.

"Naruto," Iruka said, "I'm not angry with you, but I don't want that talk to keep going on in public. I'm glad you brought this to me first, so I want you to listen very carefully. Being together with someone who is the same gender is…well, it's not a law, but people believe that it's wrong and will treat you awfully for it, especially because you're after someone who betrayed our village. You may have gotten into good graces with everyone despite how you were treated when you were younger, but I don't know if your friends, mentors, and I would be enough to protect you from the people who would see another kind of monster after knowing this. I don't know if you like girls, but I want you to know that you should never try to act on how you feel for Sasuke, even if he is my former student and your former friend. I don't want you to get hurt, even if he does come back, so I'm telling you – "

Now Naruto cut Iruka off by slamming his clenched fist on the counter and standing up. He had gotten over his shame and burned more and more with anger at what his sensei was saying.

"That's it? No hope, nothing? I didn't expect this from you, Iruka sensei. I will not give it up and I won't stop until I bring Sasuke back. I don't care how people feel and want me to feel, because I know exactly how I feel," he said.

"Naruto, please just calm down", Iruka said, putting his hand back on Naruto's shoulder, "what's the use if Sasuke doesn't even want to come back? I'm just trying to help you."

"No," Naruto said, "I can't take it, Iruka sensei, I can't accept your pessimism, because he's still my friend no matter what you say. There is a way to bring him back, and I'll find it, even if it means just having him as a friend or him leaving us again. I don't know if we'll have anything more, but I won't give up on him. That's my ninja way."

Naruto pushed Iruka away ran out of the Ichiriku stand as fast as he could, pushing the headed towards home, and letting his orange, unzipped jacket flap in the wind. He knew everyone was staring at him as he ran through the streets and occasionally bumped into someone, but he didn't care. When he ran up the stairs of his old apartment building and finally got to the door his shaking hands could barely manage to pull his keys out of his pockets and unlock it. He slammed the door behind him as soon as he got in and ran to plant facedown on his bed with his fists clenched tight. The apartment was small and clean, with a wooden floor, white walls, and a hallway separating the kitchen and the bedroom. On the small bed Naruto remembered the promise he had made to bring Sasuke back, three years ago in the rain. He did not know if Sasuke wanted to see him, but he had to bring him back. He could give him a better life. He could be his friend. Maybe he could be something more. His mind meandered on, repeating that theme_, _and he lay there for an hour.

Someone knocked on his door loudly.

"Naruto, I brought your miso to go," Iruka said, "I'm sorry, come talk to me more when you feel better, I'll leave it at your door."

His footsteps went off into the distance and Naruto's stomach growled even more remembered how hungry he was after training all day. He tried to stand up and was a little fuzzy from the blood shifting in his body, but he managed to stumble to his door and open it, peeking out to look at the hallway. Knowing he was alone, he reached down and picked up his miso Iruka had put into a Tupperware bowl with chopsticks on top, then shut the door before he walked to his bed and started to eat.

He smiled a little as he took the first bite. It was as tasty as always.

"We'll get you back, Sasuke. Sakura and I will get you back, and I'll finally be able to tell you…" Naruto said, picking up another bite.

* * *

><p>Present Day<p>

* * *

><p>Sasuke could not feel his body, and only had a slight sensation of hearing and smelling what was around him.<p>

_What happened? Where am I?_

He opened his eyes and could only see white light flooding his vision. He tried to move, but he gave up trying due to the fatigue that overwhelmed him; now the light began to define itself into objects and colors, and he could see light streaming from his left and an open door on the right. A breeze blew across Sasuke's face and he felt that he was lying on something soft.

_Am I dreaming? This is Konoha Hospital._

He remembered last that he was in the bottom of a chasm, holding his sword ready to kill Naruto. Then there was nothing.

_Naruto. I resolved to kill you there, because you would never leave me alone as long as you could live. You didn't even try to stop me, but I couldn't ever have known that even trying to kill you now would still make me feel that way, like confronting and having to kill a half of myself. I couldn't do it, when the moment came._

The bed in which he was lying came into focus, and he saw someone's arm out of the corner of his right eye. He barely managed to shift his head, and saw the back of someone's blond hair tucked into their folded arms on the edge of the bed, breathing softly and not moving.

_Naruto? How are you still so devoted after all of this time? I betrayed you and buried how much I cared about you and this village. I betrayed and buried myself. I only want revenge, and you must have known that I wouldn't be here for long if you brought me back. You're as stupid as always, Naruto, that hasn't changed._

A sinking feeling overtook Sasuke and brought him to the edge of sleep. He moved his hand over Naruto's.

_Naruto._

The darkness enveloped his vision.

_Naruto…_


	2. Chapter 2

II

Lady Tsunade was rapping her fingers on her desk, and then she sighed. She turned her chair to look out into the mildly cloudy, blue sky that was so frequently hanging over Konoha. It was a day of hard work for her, and waiting this long for Kakashi had not been on her agenda.

Shizune knocked at her office door.

"Lady Tsunade, those you've requested have arrived," she said.

Tsunade replied, "Send them in, Shizune, and make it quick. They're thirty minutes past the time I asked them to be here."

The door opened and two men walked in and stood in front of the Hokage. Tsunade turned her chair around and slammed her hands on her desk.

She said, raising her voice, "Kakashi, Iruka, I told you to be here thirty minutes ago. Do you know how much business I have to deal with every day without worrying about my subordinates putting my schedule back?"

Kakashi scratched his head and laughed a bit.

He said, "I'm sorry, Lady Hokage, I was on my way when I saw someone threatening an old woman, and I had-…"

Tsunade said, "That's enough, Kakashi, you can give me your excuses later. I summoned you here to talk about Sasuke, not waste any more time. He is being kept in the Konoha Hospital, or that's what I hear from Sakura."

Iruka stepped forward.

"Yes, he is," He said, "Yamato and Sai are also being kept there and given treatment for minor wounds. I'm sorry I acted without your permission and admitted Sasuke into the village, Lady Hokage, but I was the one who was present when their team reached the village gate. Kakashi came across us and helped me get them all to the hospital while we sent Sakura straight to you."

"Kakashi," Tsunade said, "is the jutsu Sakura used on Sasuke still effective?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage, and I also completely sealed off his curse mark to make him unable to use its power. He's recovering very quickly from Sakura's jutsu, but I believe we still have a few days before he can move or use any chakra. I believe it'll be best if we could have a member of the Hyuuga clan disrupt his chakra pathways so that he won't escape as soon as he's conscious," Kakashi said.

He put his hands in his pockets and looked off into space.

"If we can suppress his chakra and have him interact with friends, maybe we can win him back," he said, "especially if Naruto agrees to spend time with him while he's being brought back into village life. If what I heard is correct, his hesitation to kill Naruto is what allowed him to be subdued and captured by Team Kakashi, and without the ability to use his chakra Sasuke will be effectively harmless."

Iruka shook his head.

He said, "I don't know if letting Naruto stay around him would be a good thing for either of them. He talked to me not too long ago about having…affection for Sasuke more than could be considered discreet. Even if it brings him back into the fold, I wouldn't want us to defend Naruto from something worse later and alienate them both from Konoha."

"We know, Iruka," Kakashi said, "I noticed it over the course of their training and time as teammates; I informed both the third Hokage and Lady Tsunade of my observations. Even if it's taboo, I don't know how else we could convince Sasuke to stay with the village and stay away from Orochimaru. They would defend each other well as a team. In fact, they'd be happier, if it works."

Tsunade chewed on her thumb and furrowed her eyebrows.

"It _is_ a taboo, but _I_ am the Hokage," she said.

Iruka looked between them and said, "You can't be serious? This'll force us to remove them from the village if the elders or any of the…"

"Damn the elders, Iruka, and the people will all make it to live to another day if these two ninja are together. They could very well become the greatest assets to our village in recent memory," she said, "Even if it's taboo, it's be best for Naruto, Sasuke, and especially Konaha."

Iruka said, "Lady Hokage, what if Sasuke defects again as soon as he can use chakra? I don't want anything bad to happen to Naruto, his life has been hard enough, and we don't know what Sasuke is like after three years with Orochimaru."

Tsunade said, "I understand, Iruka, but it's something we have to find out. I will _not_ let Orochimaru have Sasuke again, and I see this as the best way to do it. That's my decision as Hokage, and it's final."

Iruka and Kakashi stood up straight and said, "Yes, Lady Hokage."

"Kakashi, I want you to go to the hospital and check on Sasuke. I'll send Neji Hyuuga there to meet you. Iruka, give Naruto his new mission. You're both dismissed," Tsunade said.

Kakashi turned and walked out, Iruka taking just a moment longer as he stared off into space with a slight frown before leaving. Tsunade turned her chair back around and looked out the window again. She closed her eyes and slumped down as Shizune stepped into the office.

"Lady Tsunade, would you like me to go ahead and send Neji Hyuuga to Konoha Hospital?"

Tsunade let out a sigh.

"Yes, Shizune," she said.

She rubbed her temples as the door shut behind her, readying herself for more paperwork.

* * *

><p>Naruto was walking home from the hospital on one of the narrow roads winding its way between the colorful, multi-story buildings of Konoha, his blond hair disheveled and carrying his orange and black jacket. The sun was beating down and made it hard to wear a jacket, so he just had his black under-shirt and pants on. He could not remember falling asleep. He only remembered watching Sasuke, lying face-up and his eyes shut, and his mouth was hanging slightly open as he breathed. The breath had been almost a whisper for how quiet and low it was. Naruto had thought that pale face surrounded by dark, messy hair was beautiful. That was the word he had settled on. He stopped and held up his hand, smiling. When he woke up with Sasuke's hand over his he did not know what to do. He tried to chalk it up to Sasuke moving in his sleep. He wished Sasuke had done it on purpose, but having a sword pointed at him a few days ago by Sasuke made it unlikely. He heard rapid footsteps and turned around to see Iruka, in his full jonin uniform, running after him and waving his arm to get Naruto's attention. Naruto smiled and waved at Iruka.<p>

"Hey, Iruka sensei, what are you running after?" he said.

Iruka said, "I've been looking for you, Naruto, the Hokage gave me a mission to assign to you."

"Old Lady Tsunade? What does that cranky grandma want so soon after I'm back from my last mission?" he said.

Iruka stopped, bending over and panting. Naruto thought he must have run right from the Hokage building.

Iruka said, "Naruto, she assigned you to watch over Sasuke while we keep him here in the village."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. The choice confused him, even though it excited a vague hope in the back of his mind. He did not know why Tsunade would pick someone still classified a genin to guard Sasuke.

"Why did she choose me?" he said.

Iruka looked up at Naruto.

"Don't you remember what you told me about how you feel for Sasuke?" he said.

"No," Naruto said, "or, well…I remember that, but what do you mean? I couldn't keep him here all on my own without any backup."

"She wants you to keep guard over him because you're the one he couldn't kill, because you care so much about him. The Lady Hokage hopes you can bring him back into the fold and protect him from Orochimaru's influence. That's the plan, anyways," Iruka said.

Naruto stared at Iruka with his mouth hanging open. A strange mixture of pride and nervousness filled him, but the pride won out. He had brought Sasuke back and would save him. He wanted to run back to the hospital to see Sasuke again right now. He looked back at Iruka and shook his head, then he smiled.

"I'll do my best, if that's my mission. I'll do my best to make sure he won't leave Konoha again," Naruto said.

He noticed Iruka still looking back down toward the ground. He crouched down and put his hand on Iruka's shoulder, and Iruka shook his head.

"Naruto, I opposed this measure, but the Lady Hokage believes she can protect you from anything bad that could come of this. I haven't accepted it yet, and of course it's just hard to let you go, as your old teacher," Iruka looked up a little and smiled, "but I'll protect you with all of my strength and help you save him. I hope the best for you, Naruto, whatever my reservations. The village'll be here for you. I'll be here for you," he said.

"He'll come back. I know Sasuke is still in there, Iruka sensei, and I'll find him. Believe it. Thank you for helping me," Naruto said.

Naruto held out his hand and Iruka grabbed it, letting Naruto pull him up. Iruka nodded to Naruto and smiled. His old sensei still looked out for him, and Naruto was glad. He would not disappoint Iruka.

"Get back to the hospital, Naruto, you have a mission to complete," he said.

"Yes, sensei," Naruto said as he nodded back.

* * *

><p>Sasuke saw his room immediately when he woke up, and could not feel his body. The white covers did not cover his dark hair, pale face, and upper body, covered by a white hospital gown. He held his right hand in front of his face and slowly closed then opened it to search for some feeling, but it was numb. He felt something that made him sit up when he tried to activate his sharingan. Sasuke could not manipulate his chakra. He heard the rustling of pages and saw Kakashi, in his jonin uniform with his mask and tilted headband, close and then stuff his copy of Icha-Icha Paradise in his flak jacket.<p>

Kakashi said, "So, you're already awake, Sasuke? It shows your great strength of will and chakra that you managed to recover so quickly from Sakura's jutsu."

Sasuke glared at Kakashi.

He said, "What did you do to my chakra?"

Kakashi said, "We had Neji disrupt your chakra pathways or at least divert them so that you can't effectively utilize jutsu. I also placed a seal on your curse mark with the help of Yamato, which altogether should render you harmless to everyone else."

Sasuke grabbed the opposite side of his bed from Kakashi and tried to roll out. He breathed consistently and controlled his facial expressions so he could think clearly and get out, and he thought he could walk despite the numbness. After a few tries he finally managed to push out of bed and fell hard on the ground, barely bracing himself with his forearms. Sasuke reached up and grabbed the bed to stand up but feel down. He had to use both arms to pull his upper body over the edge. Kakashi was now looking at him, his eyebrow raised.

He said, "Your nervous system hasn't fully recovered from the jutsu, but if you want to go for a walk, someone's on his way to help you."

Sasuke clenched his teeth and fell completely off again, and he had to push himself against the wall to keep from falling flat. He did not know what Kakashi wanted, talking nonsense to him and watching him fall. He heard the door creak and turned his head so he could see who was coming. Sasuke saw the blue eyes first, then the yellow hair, and then finally the familiar orange.

"Naruto…?" he said.

Naruto stopped in the doorway and stared down at Sasuke. Sasuke thought the blank expression showed surprise.

"Sasuke…you're awake," he said.

Kakashi said, "Naruto, Sasuke's having some trouble standing, but I think he wants to go for a walk. Could you help him get around?"

Naruto nodded and walked closer to Sasuke. He bent over and reached out with his hand, but Sasuke scooted away from him. He did not want to walk around under someone else's power, especially Naruto's. He had spent the last three years suppressing his bond with Naruto. He did not want to lose all the distance he had forced on himself.

"No."

"I'm assigned to keep watch over you. Come on, Sasuke. Just lying on the floor like that won't prove anything. Let me help you."

Sasuke knew Naruto would not give up and would drag him out of there. He would have to tolerate being with him for now. Sasuke turned and held out his arm, and Naruto reached down to put it over his shoulder to support Sasuke, who was barely able to stand on his weak legs.

"Damn, Sasuke, you're pretty light for someone your size. Did Orochimaru not feed you very well?"

Naruto laughed a little, but it died quickly. Sasuke didn't say anything and turned his face away from Naruto's. He would talk as little as he could, no matter how hard Naruto tried.

Kakashi said, "Naruto, I have an idea to help you start your mission. How about you take Sasuke to get some new clothes? The clothes he came in are ragged, and he probably won't like wearing his hospital clothes for long."

Sasuke was shivering and hugged closer to Naruto for warmth. It was a reflex he could not stop because of mental and physical fatigue, and he told himself not to let himself do things like that again. When Sasuke felt Naruto tense and tighten the grip of his arm around his back he knew Naruto would interpret it as more than an involuntary search for warmth.

"Yes, Kaka sensei," Naruto said, "I'll find the best clothes I can. There's a store nearby that I buy from all the time."

Sasuke could see Naruto grinning. He kept his blank face and looked away from Naruto, and he felt his legs strengthen with blood circulation. He would have to play along with Naruto until his chakra and physical strength had recovered. Sasuke felt Naruto tug at him and start turning towards the door. He followed all of Naruto's movements and made small, halting steps that were getting surer. Naruto loosened his grip a little and Sasuke nearly fell right outside of the door. Naruto caught him and pulled him up.

"Hey, idiot," Naruto said, "Don't trick me by trying to stand on your own. I'll help you until you can really walk without falling and killing yourself."

He squeezed Sasuke and laughed. Sasuke suppressed his anger.

He said, "Hn."

Sasuke heard pages turning in the hospital room as he and Naruto started to walk down the hallway.

* * *

><p>Sasuke had decided he did not like wheel chairs. Naruto was pushing him down the unpaved streets at a quick walk and not even slowing down when there were ruts, making Sasuke shake around and nearly fall. He almost reconsidered leaving the floor of the hospital. The wheelchair came to a stop and Naruto leaned over Sasuke's shoulder, and Sasuke gripped the chair tightly and slid forward to the edge of the seat.<p>

Naruto said, "This is the place!"

Sasuke looked in the window display of the small shop, decorated with red, faded letters that were painted on so long ago they were flaking off, and he realized it was a thrift store, showing off what had been left behind by other ninjas. He gave a slight frown without thinking and resumed his blank face when he saw Naruto looking down at him.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Naruto said, "This place is really great, and it's a good bargain."

Sasuke said, "Hn."

Sasuke felt the chair rotate and braced himself as Naruto started pushing, but contrary to expectation he pushed Sasuke without going too quickly. The coolness of an electric fan blowing above relieved the heat of the sun that had been beating down outside as soon as they crossed the threshold. There were several racks of clothing in the center of the room and on the sides, but no one sat at the desk, which was covered in dust. Wood made up the floor, walls, and shelves, like all the other buildings in Konoha. Naruto sighed.

He said, "The owners should check on their store more often. The clerk always leaves early for lunch and doesn't even close the door."

Sasuke did not think security was an issue in a store that sold other people's old things, but he did not bring it up. The less talking the better. Naruto pushed him to the back, past rack upon rack of musty clothing, and picked up a white loincloth off of one of the thick shelves pushed to the back wall that he inspected thoroughly, looking at it closely. Then Naruto held it in Sasuke's face.

"Hey, Sasuke," he said, "I'll pick a loincloth for you. Is this good?"

Sasuke looked away and stared at nothing in particular. There was a sign over the shelf that said "new" in fat, white letters against black, so he did not care. As long as no one else had used it.

He said, "Hn."

Naruto had walked up to the shelf and laid the cloth on top. He looked down at Sasuke and back at the shelf, scratching his chin. He reached in and grabbed another one as Sasuke focused on his breathing to try to not pay attention, because he knew Naruto was just trying to re-establish familiar contact. He would not give in.

"You know, you're just a little skinnier than me, but not by much. I think you could probably use the same size," he said.

Naruto shook the loincloth off before tucking it into his jacket. He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow, and Sasuke stared back without a word.

"Sasuke," he said, "that wasn't very nice. I'd like some gratitude for buying you new clothes, especially clothes as nice as the clothes I wear."

Sasuke did not say anything, averting his dark eyes from Naruto, who pushed him to another rack and another rack, picking out a shirt, jacket, pants, a utility pouch, and sandals. Tension filled Sasuke's body more and more as they went through the store, until he suddenly grabbed the wheels of the chair and made it screech to a stop, making his chaperone pay attention to him. He had to tell Naruto off before he got the wrong idea. Sasuke kept his voice even and quiet.

"Why are you buying me clothes?" he said.

Naruto looked down at the floor.

"I don't want to be here. I want to be out there, getting stronger to fight my brother. Don't fool yourself, Naruto, I'm going back to Orochimaru as soon as I can use jutsu," Sasuke said.

"Sasuke…" Naruto said.

"No, don't say anything," Sasuke said, "Stop trying to hold me back. You make me weak by keeping me here. Our friendship keeps me from what I have to do to fulfill my destiny as a member of the Uchiha clan. I'm rolling around in a wheelchair while Itachi insults my family name just by living, Naruto. Do you understand?"

Naruto silently pushed him to the front counter and pulled out his green, frog-shaped wallet to leave the money for the clothes. Sasuke twisted around to look at him, but Naruto would not look into his black eyes.

"You have nothing to say, Naruto?" Sasuke said.

Naruto set the money on the counter and put his wallet back in his pocket. He met Sasuke's eyes and turned the corners of his mouth up in a small smile.

He said, "Sasuke, I understand that you want revenge, but there's more to life than killing Itachi. You had close bonds with your family, but I never had a family or anyone like that when I was young. Still, I managed to make friends and found other people that kept me from giving up. I won't let you go until I convince you that this village is your home. And I wanted to say this a long time ago, but…I-I need you here."

Naruto put his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and let them settle there. Sasuke's instincts told him to wriggle away, but he just sat there, looking up at Naruto. He let his shoulders relax.

Naruto said, "I need you here, Sasuke…"

Sasuke felt a warm feeling fill his whole body and turned away from Naruto to stare straight ahead. He found himself not able to think; Naruto didn't move for a long time. When Naruto stood removed his hands Sasuke had cheeks a light shade of red, his mouth slightly open, and had to shake his head to wake up. Sasuke felt Naruto's hand run brush his hair behind his right ear, and he frowned and leaned forward to get away from it. It was a fight to do even that. He had forgotten how what these feelings were like when they had first affected him, some time after he had joined Team 7. Naruto's sudden laughter made him clench his jaw.

"Now let's go to my place and you can try your new clothes on," he said.

Sasuke had barely any time to grab hold of his chair before they flew out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

III

Sasuke enjoyed the softness of Naruto's bed against his naked body. In fact, it was surprisingly soft, softer than anything he'd ever laid on in his life. Of course, since he could only compare Orochimaru's beds and his own bed from so long ago, maybe it was only normal. He rolled over, facedown, and closed his eyes. He could easily imagine how Naruto always managed to be in such a good mood, and it would help him put up with Naruto until he could escape the place. He allowed himself to drift off, although keeping his ears awake out of habit. Sasuke's eyes shot open when a metallic clang rang out in the kitchen. Naruto walked into the bedroom scratching his head and holding a detached wheel.

He said, "Maybe I shouldn't have pushed the wheelchair into the kitchen without looking…"

Sasuke raised his head up and looked back when Naruto did not speak or make a sound for a moment. Naruto was staring at him, and when they made eye contact Naruto looked down at the floor and muttered his loud words.

"Sasuke," he said, "How about you try on your new clothes?"

Sasuke assumed Naruto had been looking him over. He had noticed Naruto staring at him before he had left Konoha, and he had deduced that it was physical desire with lack of a better reason. He had reciprocated without Naruto's knowledge. Still, Naruto did not need to know that.

Sasuke said, "I want to change in private."

Naruto reached out his hand and said, "Sasuke…"

He closed his eyes. Sasuke did not want to encourage Naruto, and his patience was wearing thin. Naruto picked up the folded clothes off the floor to lay them next to Sasuke. He turned and walked back into the kitchen, where furniture scraping the floor and tires spinning told Sasuke he had a moment alone. He turned over, swinging himself off the bed. He put on the loincloth then fully dressed himself before Naruto came back. The clothes did not impede his movement or bother him as much as he thought they would for being something Naruto Uzumaki had bought, and Naruto's old jumpsuit had not set a good precedent.

Naruto walked back into the bedroom to get to his dresser without looking at Sasuke and opened a drawer that was filled with shirts that he had not folded or organized. Sasuke sighed at Naruto's still untidy habits. Naruto pulled his shirt off and threw it on the ground on top of his jacket, and he held up one of the many in the pile and shook it out. Sasuke took his turn to look as he watched Naruto's bare back. He felt a stirring in his body and mentally scolded himself. He knew he should be attracted to girls, not guys, but he had not ever had this visceral feeling towards any girl, which he could only think of as had felt this toward – mainly for – Naruto and a few others when he was still staying in Konoha.

Naruto twisted around with his shirt hanging around his neck, looking at Sasuke with his stupid grin and making Sasuke grimace. He broke out into laughter.

He said, "What are _you_ looking at?"

Sasuke locked eyes with him and breathed deeply. He did not want to bother with a response that would lead Naruto to teasing him, because he could only take so much teasing before he lashed out. Better to be honest.

"Hn," he said, "You."

Naruto walked to Sasuke and leaned forward, holding his face a few inches from Sasuke's and assuming a serious frown, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

He said, "You were staring at me?"

Sasuke kept his aggravated expression and took a breath to get ready to scold Naruto. It was as if Naruto thought that any feeling of attraction would make a difference, but Naruto cut him off first.

Naruto said, "Do you…think guys are attractive too?"

Sasuke did not like where this was going, but he had no better way to get out. He knew exactly the preference that he had. Once again, honesty was the only way out.

He said, "Yes. I do."

Naruto stepped back and looked down at the floor.

He said, "I thought back then that…well, did you know I liked you?"

Sasuke stared up at the ceiling. He had not suppressed his feelings for three years to have to deal with this.

He said, "The way you came after me when I left…I was sure then. I've change though, Naruto. I don't care about anything anymore, just killing Itachi. I didn't leave to get dragged back here and reminisce with you."

He clenched his teeth and paced his breathing to keep his outward calm.

Naruto said, "Then why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?"

Sasuke kept looking up, searching for words to keep up the illusion. He had nothing to say, and that disquieted him. Naruto's hand on his shoulder made him stare into those blue eyes again and narrow his own eyes. He spat out the two awful words.

"I couldn't," he said.

Naruto squeezed his shoulder and shook him. Sasuke saw Naruto's grimace but kept up his own glare. Naruto was shouting when he started to speak again.

"Why are you acting like you don't feel a damned thing? We all nearly died trying to save you, and I finally dragged you back after feeling like shit over it for years. Believe it. Does anything matter to you? Do I have to beat you senseless?" he said.

Sasuke had closed his eyes hard and looked away, shaking a little. He reminded himself that he had to kill his brother, and the rage gave him some focus in the storm around him.

He said, "I can't give up on killing him, Naruto. If I don't I'll never feel at rest or at home anywhere or with anyone, anywhere. I can't stay here."

Naruto moved closer, still gripping Sasuke's shoulder. His harsh expression, stretching the lines across his face towards his pursed mouth, remained although he whispered the words. Sasuke tried to back away but could not under the iron grip.

He said, "We could help you. I don't know why the hell you always thought you had to go kill him all by yourself…with a whole village you could find him, and you could k-"

Sasuke said, "I have to do it on my own!"

He opened his eyes – tears falling from them – and pushed Naruto two steps back with the strength he could muster. Anger burned him up through and through, and he grabbed Naruto's arm that lay on his shoulder and squeezed. He felt regret in his hatred, regret that he could not find some kind of peace with the only person that had been his friend. Naruto's mouth hung open, but he still furrowed his eyebrows.

He said, "When you've killed him, then what? Start the clan again when you're a missing nin? All the people you betrayed will kill you? I won't let that happen, ever, so get used to staying here."

Naruto knocked Sasuke's hand off of his arm and threw his embrace around Sasuke, who struggled against the grip. He could not give up when he had done so much to get away from this and become stronger, and if he gave up all of the suffering he went through with Orochimaru would not mean a thing. With his limited strength he could not get loose. He shook his head and his whole body against Naruto. More tears flowed. Finally he let himself just limply stand there, arms down to his side and his head against Naruto's shoulder. There was still anger, now anger for coming apart in front of Naruto. Naruto's voice was still angry when he spoke.

"Stay here awhile. I'll help you get stronger, but don't leave again. I won't let you," he said.

Sasuke snorted. He knew he had no choice.

He said, "Idiot, don't think you can extort a promise out of me."

Suddenly the door flew open. Sasuke turned his head a little to see pink hair appear in the doorway.

Sakura said, "Naruto! I heard Sasuke was with you."

She looked into the bedroom and froze. Naruto loosened his grip on Sasuke, who looked away from Sakura, and laughed nervously. Sasuke knew he would have to confront her again, but he did not know that it would have to be like this. He would let Naruto and Sakura talk. He had nothing to say to her.

Sakura said, "Wh-what are you guys up to?"

Naruto said, "We were just talking, Sakura…"

Sakura was breathing heavily and turned away from away from them. Sasuke noticed she was leaning on the door and that Naruto's voice had lost its harsh quality. It was a low, weak whisper.

She said, "Oh…I'm sorry I came in like that, without knocking…"

She turned and walked out, closing the door and leaving it like she had never come in. Sasuke stood with his arms at his side, head still hanging, when Naruto ran to the door and looked outside for Sakura, calling her name. Darkness had fallen outside and a cool breeze came through the apartment. Sasuke knew that he could not do anything to help Sakura, as he caused the problem simply by being back and not loving her. However, he did know something he could do for Naruto. He walked to the front hall and laid his hand on Naruto's back, leaning close to his neck.

He said, "Naruto, let her go for now."

Naruto said, "I promised to bring you back, Sasuke. I promised Sakura that I would, but she wanted to be with you. I can't believe I betrayed her."

Sasuke pulled on his shoulder to make him turn around. His voice had an edge on it, because he felt Naruto was being ridiculous.

He said, "You didn't betray her, I did. I knew how she felt when I left the village, but you can't change what you feel, even if you wanted. I can't either."

He closed his eyes and sighed as Naruto hugged him. It bugged him, but he could not deny to himself that he enjoyed the close contact. Naruto let him go and began walking to his bedroom. Sasuke surrendered to the fact that Naruto would not change his mind and let his anger sink down.

He said, "You can sleep on the bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

Sasuke nodded and walked after Naruto, who began taking off his clothes and taking blankets out of his closet to lie on the floor. He passed a mirror and realized he had not yet had a chance to look at himself in the new clothes. He wore brown sandals, somewhat baggy black pants that went down to his calves, a white, sleeveless shirt tucked into his pants, and a black jacket. Sasuke decided that while it was not perfectly to his taste, he did like it for its practical aspects. He would have to sew the red and white Uchiha emblem onto the jacket. When he finished looking at the mirror he saw that Naruto had already rolled himself up in sheets on the floor and had fallen asleep without another word. Sasuke sighed and pulled off his jacket, shirt, and pants, just wearing the loincloth as he turned off the light and fell into the bed. By the light of the half-moon he could see Naruto, blond hair sticking out from his blanket and breathing lightly, as he fell asleep. He was going to leave as soon as he could. Until then, he would stay with Naruto. Only until then.

* * *

><p>That Night<p>

* * *

><p>A hooded figure stood in the tree outside of Naruto's apartment, the moonlight only showing his silhouette. As the light inside flickered away he stood and prepared to leap away when another dark-robed figure appeared on the tree branch. Red clouds covered the cloak of the second figure, and the hooded man stepped away. Itachi Uchiha's sharingan shone in the light. He had tracked this man to the apartment after crisscrossing the land of fire.<p>

He said, "Why are you observing Sasuke?"

The hooded man pushed his glasses up as he laughed, revealing the face of Kabuto Yakushi.

Kabuto said, "Orochimaru wants his body back, Itachi. They took him from us."

"I'll kill you here if you don't leave," Itachi said.

Kabuto drew a kunai knife and dived for Itachi, but he knocked it out of Kabuto's hands with a slap then punched him in the jaw, knocking him off the branch into the underbrush. Fast footsteps and diving through the foliage made themselves heard below, but Itachi looked on, not moving.

He said, "Tell Orochimaru I'm coming for him."

Itachi jumped down to the ground then walked up the steps to Naruto's apartment, on the second floor of the complex. He laid a large, white envelope there and looked up at the door for a while, silent.

He said, "I'll protect you, Sasuke, even from the Akatsuki."

He disappeared suddenly and there was silence, the moon hanging low on the horizon.

* * *

><p>Sakura had been talking with her mother for hours, and it had not resolved any of her feelings. In fact, she was even more conflicted as she lay in bed, pushing down her horrible feelings as she tried to think clearly. She walked into the kitchen as her mother cut sushi for dinner that night and stood behind her for minutes to build up the courage to speak. Finally, she had told her about seeing Sasuke and Naruto hugging like that, and her mother at first told her she could have overreacted to something innocuous two friends were doing upon seeing each other again. She had not used either of their names. Her mom could figure that out herself. Then Sakura pointed out that Naruto tried to cover up what they were doing and how Sasuke would not look at her. Her mother had been silent a long while, cleaning the knife.<p>

_What did she say?_

"_Sakura, it's wrong for two men to be together, and this second guy shouldn't have ignored you when you came in, anyways. You've got every right to be angry at those two for doing something like that as soon that guy came back."_

Sakura agreed at an emotional level, but her reasonable self thought that the hug she had seen made a lot of sense. Naruto had hit on her in the past, sure, but he and Sasuke had always been closer when they were on Team 7 together. Maybe it was silly of her to be so angry when Naruto had fulfilled his promise and brought Sasuke back.

_But he promised __**me**__ that he would bring Sasuke back so I could have him again. _

She rolled onto her back and put her hands behind her head to lie on. Also, her mother was right. No other men were together in Konoha, and everyone frowned at the idea that two might be. Sasuke had only been standing there while Naruto hugged him, though. Maybe Sasuke wanted to hurt Naruto still…

_That's ridiculous._

Even if it was also ridiculous, she most desperately wished for a hug or kiss of recognition from Naruto or Sasuke now that they were all together in Konoha again. Yet she felt that they were far away. She saw Naruto and Sasuke fading into the distance with each other, never coming back and leaving her alone, very alone.

_If I keep thinking depressing thoughts I'll never find a way to deal with this._

The realization of what to do hit Sakura suddenly as she closed her eyes and leaned back on the pillow.

_I need to talk to our friends…we can all decide what to do together tomorrow. Surely they will make better decisions than I would alone._

She felt her body begin to relax and warm with sleep. It was the perfect feeling to take her mind off of the whole ordeal. In fact, she realized it was a nice night to be sleeping with the windows open when a breeze blew across her face, warm and lovely. Her friends would know what to do.

_Naruto, you are my best friend. Sasuke, I love you. Surely I can find a way to act that will save our friendship. _

The breeze blew again and leaves rustled outside as sleep took her.


	4. Chapter 4

IV

Sunlight lit up the village between intermittent clouds. Naruto walked down one of the many streets of Konoha, full from eating at Ichiraku. Multiple floor buildings lined the street on either side. He had been walking around looking for something to do all day, actually, because Sasuke had been reading a white envelope and demanding to be alone for a while at the apartment. Naruto could still envision the narrowing of Sasuke's eyes, and how quickly Sasuke had gone from quietly speaking to being quiet as he always used to be. Naruto wished Sasuke would have talked about it, but he after barely getting Sasuke to stay for awhile he did not want to push it and get on his bad side. As he walked he stretched his arms and looked up at the clouds meandering above until he bumped into something that knocked him flat on the ground. He looked up, trying to regain his sense of balance. Choji was looking down at him, chewing on potato chips drawn from the bag he cradled like a baby and looking down with an eyebrow raised. Then he saw Shikamaru, Sai, Kiba, Shino, Lee, Ino, and Sakura. They circled around Naruto and looked down at him without talking for a few moments. Naruto felt guilt when he saw that Sakura was standing back and not looking at him.

He said, "Hey, what is it, guys? Why are you all staring at me like that?"

Kiba scratched his head and slightly grinned. Akamaru was asleep in the shade of one of the buildings lining the street.

He said, "Naruto, Sakura tells us you have been getting on…very well with Sasuke. Or…you know what I mean. Is it true? We want to know."

Sakura cast her eyes away and Naruto scratched his head and decided he really did not have a good excuse to give to them.

He said, "Uh…I guess. What is it, guys? I mean, I'm assigned to watch him."

They stepped back from Naruto and Shikamaru gave Naruto a hand to pull him up and patted the dust off his jacket. Shikamaru wore his jonin jacket with his Konaha uniform, and he sighed before he spoke to Naruto.

He said, "It's normally too troublesome to mess with our friends' personal business, but Sakura didn't know what to do and came to us. We all want to know why you hurt her, Naruto, or how you hurt her."

Lee said, "You are my good friend, Naruto, but if you do something wrong to Sakura I will fight you right here."

Naruto looked at Sakura and frowned. He knew that he would have to confront her, but this was almost too much for him to handle. His throat was dry.

"Well…" he said, "I have enjoyed Sasuke being back and we do…"

He ground his teeth. Why was it hard?

Shikamaru said, "Do what, Naruto?"

Naruto said, "I do like him, a little, but it's not serious. Sakura came by to see him when we were hugging, and I did a bad job of explaining it to her. I know she likes Sasuke. I wish I could apologize, believe it."

Sakura stepped forward, staring at the ground, and then looked up at Naruto, smiling while tears rolled down her cheeks. Naruto looked at the ground to avoid the shame her speech was going to give him. He wished he could do anything to help her.

She said, "Naruto, I-I forgive you. I'm still your teammate…I'll do my best to be you and Sasuke's friend."

Naruto's eyes opened wide, and he saw the frowns everyone wore around him disappear. Naruto had no good words to respond to what she said. Shikamaru let out a loud sigh and face-palmed.

He said, "You know, Sakura, you didn't have to call us all out here if you were just going to forgive Naruto as soon as we got tough on him."

Naruto had to take a deep breath to clear his mind and speak. He had not realized how much Sakura had matured over the years, but he could not ignore it now. Before he had left she would not have taken this well at all. His friends' lack of care – they stood around him without any frowns or looks of concern – now that Sakura had dealt with the issue surprised him.

Naruto said, "What, you guys don't care that I like Sasuke? He's a guy."

Sai laughed lightly and smiled from the back of the group. Naruto felt a little annoyed, but he always did around Sai. He tightened his fist just in case.

He said, "Naruto, just because you're a fag doesn't mean that we'll stop being you and Sasuke's friends."

Naruto's frown of annoyance turned to a scowl of absolute rage. He wanted to kill Sai, who was standing there and smiling in that ridiculous midriff-showing shirt like he had just given Naruto a compliment. He ran at Sai, Choji and Kiba grabbing his arms and barely restraining him from annihilating the hapless boy.

Naruto said, "Sasuke and I aren't fags, Sai! You take it back, or I'll punch you right in the face."

Sai stepped back and kept smiling. He pulled out a notebook and started writing in it. Naruto hated that.

He said, "I'm very sorry, Naruto, I didn't know that would bother you. I won't use it again on you or Sasuke."

Naruto stopped his struggling and stood back up, folding his arms. He would admit surrender, but when he had his chance he would get Sai back. He had been planning to anyways since they had left on the mission to go find Sasuke.

He said, "Sai, you're my team mate, but you still piss me off. I wish I knew how you did it."

Kiba said, "Yeah, and you almost killed us trying to punch his face in, Naruto."

Kiba rolled his arm around like his shoulder was sore. Choji nodded and threw some more chips into his mouth. Shikamaru had turned around and was tapping his foot, and Shino, Lee, and Ino were standing back without a reason to intervene.

Ino said, "I've got to head home and do some chores. If we don't have anything else to worry about…I'll see you guys later. Don't you and Shino have something to do?"

Ino said that to Lee and then jogged down the road from where Naruto had come, and Shino and Lee went after her without a word. Well, first Lee stopped to put a hand on Sakura's shoulder and whisper something to her. Confusion swept over Naruto. He had expected his friends to at least act negatively towards him, but Sakura's apology and everyone's behavior was positive, at least on the surface. He knew had faith in his friends. Now he knew they would support him.

Choji said, "Does anyone want to go get some bar-b-q? I'm starving."

Shikamaru said, "It would be troublesome if I'd eaten lunch, but I haven't. Anyone else want to go?"

Naruto knew he was not hungry, but he had nothing to do while Sasuke was moping around and telling him to keep away. He would go check on him after lunch and talking more with his friends. The few people remaining agreed to go, and Sakura walked next to Naruto as they proceeded to the restaurant. Her tears had dried up and she was grinning slightly. Naruto smiled too as they started to walk and stared at the ground ahead of them.

She said, "I'm sorry I freaked out last night. I just needed some time to think about it. My mother told me I shouldn't be your friend anymore because of how you are, but I don't see what's wrong. I'm glad you brought our friend back, Naruto. Thank you."

Naruto giggled a little. The guilt was gone, and he felt much lighter. Now he and Sakura could just be friends.

"No problem," he said, "I just did what I promised I would do. I never break a promise to a friend."

Kiba walked closer to Naruto.

He said, "Where is Sasuke, anyways? Isn't it your mission to watch him?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "He's just moping around at my apartment like good, old Sasuke."

* * *

><p>Sasuke held a white envelope in his hands and stared at it as he had stared at it for the whole day until now, sitting on the bed and the yellow light of dusk pouring into the apartment. He just wore a pair of black shorts he had fished out of Naruto's dresser. He had no idea what it could be, but he knew who it came from because of the Uchiha clan seal stamped on the envelope in wax. A light breeze made him shiver and act on his resolve to open it. He pushed away fear that this was just a trap by Itachi. Something this small, probably a paper bomb, he could avoid or defuse. He slipped his fingers under the wax seal and gingerly popped it open, trying not to tear the perfect, white paper, and he knew he would read it. He did not know how he knew it would be a letter. It slipped out easily when he opened the envelope and pulled on the folded paper within, and he saw that the letter had spots where it had touched dirt and rain, contrasting with the white envelope. It must have come a long way.<p>

He hesitated to unfold the letter and let his hands feel the rough edges and smooth paper between the rough, stained spots. Finally he opened it and saw the neat, small kanji in columns across the page, and there was still hesitation. He did not know if he wanted to read it. Anger at his brother started to fill him. He did not care what Itachi had to say, and he wanted to tear up the letter and leave it at that. Curiosity pushed him on, though. Maybe what was within could help him find Itachi.

When he had finished it all, activating his sharingan to memorize it with what little chakra he could use, he set it down and stared at the floor. The rage had gone. He frowned and shook his head. He could not believe what he had just read. If it were true his revenge had no meaning, but it had not fully convinced him. The only thing he could do was to investigate the claims.

He would have to stay in Konoha for a while to find out the truth. His thoughts wandered to Naruto, and he made the calculation. If he indulged Naruto he could stay longer and get in the good graces of the Hokage, getting access to the village's archives. Then he could decide what to do next. He wondered how to tell Naruto, but he decided to mostly keep the letter secret. He would allow himself to bond with Naruto. Maybe Naruto could find out later. Sasuke tore off a piece of the envelope and grabbed a pen off of Naruto's bedside table, and he wrote a short note on it. He had an idea of how to get started. A small part of him felt good at staying longer with Naruto, but Sasuke reminded himself he would leave when convenient. That had been three years ago. This meant nothing to him now. He was going to fake it to get on Naruto's good side. He kept telling himself that.

* * *

><p>Naruto unlocked his door and stepped into the front hall. He flicked the light switch, and the light took away the darkness that was starting to settle around Konoha at this time of hoped Sasuke had gotten out of his bed at some point. He walked to his bedroom and saw that the bed was made and a small note had been left on the pillow. He was alarmed Sasuke had run away until he picked up the note and read it slowly. It told him to meet Sasuke at the training field.<p>

He furrowed his eyebrows and dropped it to the ground. Naruto crawled out of the open bedroom window and began leaping from building to building towards the edge of the village, because the training field was outside the walls. The idea did not make sense to him, but it interested him vaguely that Sasuke wanted to meet at that place. He smirked as the warm night air passed around him. He was ready to fight or talk or whatever he had to do.

When Naruto arrived at the training field he was perplexed. All he could see in the moonlight were the three stumps and the river next to the old grassy field. He nearly went back to the village to look for Sasuke when he saw that Sasuke was sitting on the ground, leaning against one of the stumps with something lying on the ground in front of him, his chin resting on his knees and his arms wrapped around his legs. Naruto walked closer and saw that there was writing on the piece of paper in front of Sasuke, and he realized the dirty stationery must be what the envelope had contained. Sasuke did not look at him when he sat beside him, cross-legged. Naruto messed with the grass and decided to break the awkward silence.

"Sasuke, what're you doing all the way out here at night? How'd you get past the ANBU on patrol?" he said.

Sasuke scooted a little closer to Naruto. Naruto felt a shiver run up his spine as his hand barely brushed against Sasuke's leg.

He said, "Thinking."

Naruto knew how fast Sasuke was, and the second question probably did not dignify an answer. Naruto scratched his head. He did not know whether to ask about the letter, but he figured that was making Sasuke act strange. Concern for Sasuke made him ignore the warm feeling for a moment.

"What's wrong?" he said, "You were feeling just fine this morning."

Sasuke shook his head. Naruto willed himself to lift the hand that was against Sasuke's leg and put it on his shoulder, but Sasuke looked straight ahead with the slightly tense expression he always wore.

"No, Naruto," he said, "Nothing's wrong. I'm just thinking."

Naruto said, "What do you want to talk about, then?

Naruto watched Sasuke stare straight ahead for a few moments. They felt like forever. Then Sasuke put his hand on Naruto's that lay on his shoulder. Naruto felt a warm feeling wash over him as Sasuke stroked the back of his hand.

"Sasuke…" he said.

Sasuke muttered in reply, and Naruto did not hear him.

"What did you say, Sasuke?" he said.

Sasuke suddenly grabbed his hand and said, "I won't to leave. I'll stay here with you."

Naruto could feel the breath leave his lungs as he sighed in relief. He had been a little worried Sasuke would attack him, but this was amazing. Sasuke leaned towards Naruto until their faces were only a few inches apart. A blank expression replaced the tense one. The starry sky was framing his pale face, with his two dark eyes in the midst of the light skin, which were illuminated by the moonlight. It was as if the sky created him from the Milky Way, the stars, and all the vast stretches of darkness in between. Naruto just stared. He would have touched his face or stroked his hair, but that did not feel right with the relationship he and Sasuke always had. He could not think what to say.

He said, "That's…that's great."

Sasuke smirked and leaned in closely to Naruto's ear.

He said, "Do you remember when we accidentally kissed each other back in the Academy?"

Naruto said, "Yeah, of course I-…"

Sasuke kissed him, his soft lips pressing against Naruto's as they both closed their eyes, and Naruto felt like he had fallen off the edge of the world. Naruto knew that it felt _right_. When Sasuke pulled back from the kiss he rolled to the side, Naruto stared back with his blue eyes and felt warmer and happier than he had in three years. He felt a pang of doubt in the back of his mind. He shoved it back, because he finally had Sasuke back.

In the far distance an orange, full moon was hanging low on the horizon.

* * *

><p>A Letter, Hand-Written on Weather Beaten Paper<p>

* * *

><p>Dear Sasuke, my little brother,<p>

I have waited many years to contact you, and I know that you probably do not want to read what I have written for you. If you can find it in you to read this, please do. I decided I had to tell you the truth before I die, and I will die soon.

Whenever I killed our clan, it was not my choice. The clan was planning to lead an uprising that would have brought the whole village to ruin along with themselves, and I did what I had to do as a member of ANBU and a ninja of Konoha. I could not bring myself to kill you too, Sasuke. Do you remember the tears streaming down my face as I told you to avenge yourself on me, surrounded by the remains that I could not even look at for the shame of what I had done? I only wanted to make you stronger to restore our clan. However, when I discovered that you betrayed the village and were with Orochimaru over the last three years, I knew that my plan had failed and decided to write this letter so that you would not continue on that path.

Do not try to avenge our family on me, Sasuke. Your anger and your hatred will not bring you any closer to saving the clan than anything else. Instead, return to the village and save the honor of our clan before it can no longer be redeemed. The Akatsuki are on the move, and Konoha is more in need of an Uchiha who will safeguard his friends and home than ever. I am sorry I could not fight by your side in the battles past and to come, but I did what I had to do.

I am very ill as I write this and can only hope to see you before my time to die has come. I will be protecting you from afar as I have always, despite what wrongs I have done you. All I ask you is your forgiveness, if you can spare any for your older brother who has confused you and abused you without telling you why for all of these years. I have seen the error in my ways for a long time now, but the years have burned away before I could tell you the truth.

You will discover that the true man behind the evils that have fallen on our clan is closer than you may think. Be on the lookout for a man who claims to be of the Uchiha, for he deceived me many years ago. I resolve that you will not follow in my footsteps into the darkness that lies on his path and the path of revenge.

Fight for your friends, for they are your true family now, Sasuke. Those who you love and cherish most will give you more than any hope of revenge could ever begin to and far more than I could ever give.

Itachi Uchiha

(an extra page, not as stained as the rest, is tucked behind)

Now that you are back in Konoha I am very excited to see that you and the Uzumaki boy have gotten along well. I can only warn you that two Akatsuki are on their way to capture him now, and he should not remain in the village unless heavily guarded if you want to ensure his safety.

I have observed you two and believe that he cares very much about you. If that is so, never let him go like I let someone else go a long time ago. Goodbye, Sasuke, I love you.


	5. Chapter 5

V

The cold made Sasuke kick his legs to cover himself back up with something uneven and rough that he could not identify. He had just awoken and his body felt stiff. His eyes flickered open, and he saw the flat training field. He could have gotten killed, sleeping in the open like an his fuzzy mental state feeling that his arm was around Naruto shocked him and caused the events of last night to flow back. They were lying in the grass in the training field, and the imagined blanket was really Sasuke's jacket covering their legs while Naruto's was over their upper bodies. They were spooning with Sasuke behind, and Sasuke sat up slowly to look around the field, carefully removing his arm from Naruto. He did not want to wake up Naruto until he was sure their surroundings were safe, especially in that position. What was he, some bleeding romantic kunoichi?

Naruto rolled onto his back, making Sasuke move so Naruto would not lie on top of him. Being pressed closer to Naruto would not bother him, he decided. Then he shook his head and drove the thought away, because this was exactly the kind of feeling he could not let get in his way. Satisfied no one was nearby, he began to close his eyes, until he heard a rustling, his eyes shooting open and looking around the area. He was sure it was a person. His chakra flow had returned close enough to normal that he could make his irises turn red behind three black tomoe and use the sharingan to observe much more closely the movements in the distant edge of the forest where he heard the noise originate from. Finally he saw what he was looking for. An older man was peeking out from behind a tree, and as he saw Sasuke gazing across the field he turned and began running in the other direction. The irregular and slow movements as the man ran told Sasuke the man was at worst an old ex-ninja and most likely a civilian. He would not be dangerous.

Sasuke let his body fall back to the ground and took a deep breath. Even if the man had been a ninja, they would not attack him and Naruto in friendly territory. The alarm that constantly filled their movement during his time with Orochimaru still held his mind to constant awareness when he was outdoors, but he nevertheless did not want it to go away. If he had to fight with Naruto in the upcoming days, he would need to be alert wherever he was. Only in a weak place like Konoha would such awareness of the environment, a skill he prided himself on, would not be necessary.A voice familiar voice behind him chuckled.

Kakashi said, "Sasuke, I see that Naruto's doing well. It's been two days, and I find you two out here together."

The black tomoe of the sharingan spun in Sasuke's red eyes, and he stood up. Naruto did not even move. Sasuke had just woken up and had very little tolerance for Kakashi's nonsense, exuding killing intent. Kakashi put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, but Sasuke stepped back and watched the hand fall.

"I thought you'd act a little nicer since your change of heart, Sasuke. I'd swear you wanted to kill me," Kakashi said.

Sasuke grit his teeth, but he did not want to give himself away. He took a deep breath and deactivated his sharingan, letting his face fall into a blank stare without smile, frown, or tensing of any part of his face.

He said, "What do you want, Kakashi?"

Kakashi said, "I've been checking up on you and Naruto from afar once or twice a day, and since I couldn't find you at his apartment I had to go looking. I suppose intuition lead me here. How are you feeling, Sasuke?"

Sasuke felt his body's soreness from chakra exertion. His knees buckled, making him fall. He breathed deep and focused on keeping his chakra flowing to give his body strength, and he inwardly promised to work on his chakra reserves so he could avoid embarrassment as soon as he could.

"I feel fine," he said.

Kakashi held out his hand and Sasuke beheld it without expression. He looked up at the sky past Kakashi at the red and orange of the morning sunrise, and he enjoyed the colors, not that he would say it out loud. Kakashi drew his hand back.

He said, "Do you want me to go?"

Sasuke said, "I don't care, Kakashi. I'm just staying with Naruto while he's out here exposed."

He still did not look at Kakashi.

Kakashi said, "You might be out here until tomorrow if you wait for him to wake up on his own. Are you going to reconnect with your old friends and comrades?"

Sasuke liked the sky at this time of day because of how it resembled fire. Not a hot fire, but the kind of fire that keeps you warm in the cold. He had not looked at the sky like this for a long time because of how little he had considered anything in the last few years, deep in caves and always on the run. It made his calm face less of a mask. Then he remembered Kakashi had asked him a question.

He said, "Hn."

Kakashi said, "It is amazing to see you so devoted to Naruto after all of this time. I knew you two were more than normally devoted when you were on my team. But if you want to help Sakura, you should try to be friends with her again. She's had a hard time since you've been back."

Sasuke was glad his act of being close to Naruto worked, but he did not want to deal with Sakura. He did not have to comfort her for something that was not his fault. He nodded.

"I know. Do you think I'm stupid?"

He decided that he did not feel comfortable talking anymore, and he stared at Kakashi's exposed eye. Kakashi's footsteps eventually crunched against the grass as he walked away but then paused for a moment.

He said, "You're too stubborn to have such a sudden change of heart. Don't do anything stupid. If you try to hurt anyone here to get away, I'll kill you. Maybe you can learn something by being with Naruto, and I hope you will."

Sasuke's body clenched, and he tried to stand, frowning. Kakashi had already reached the trees and was jumping from tree branch to tree branch, making a creaking that got quieter and quieter in the distance. Naruto stretched out and sat up, yawning while stretching his arms dramatically. Sasuke quickly took another deep breath in and erased his frown.

"Sasuke, what are you doing over there?" he said through the yawn.

He crawled over to Sasuke and threw his arms around him, tackling him to the ground and hugging him around his neck. Sasuke's neck, like all of his other muscles, was extremely sore and he almost elbowed Naruto to make him get off when Naruto started poking him in the face over and over again. He was an avenger and heir of the Uchiha, so what the hell was Naruto thinking?

He said, "You look so unhappy, Sasuke. What're you thinking about?"

Sasuke elbowed him, making Naruto exhale sharply, and then jumped on top of Naruto's chest, pinning Naruto's arms down with his knees.

He said, "Don't threaten me."

Naruto turned his head to the side and snorted, but only after furrowing his eyebrows and staring up at Sasuke for a moment. Sasuke took note to lighten up so he would not incur Naruto's suspicion. He would play along to break the tension, just a strategy.

"I'm not ticklish," Naruto said.

Sasuke, taking a deep breath, leaned back and grabbed Naruto's sides, slipping under his shirt and digging in with his fingers. Naruto began shaking and finally started to laugh a little bit. Sasuke wanted to do anything but something so juvenile.

Naruto said, "Stop it, Sasuke!"

He broke out into a strong laugh. Sasuke dug into his side a few more seconds for good measure then leaned forward, placing his hands on the ground on either side of Naruto's head and looking down at him. Naruto had stopped smiling and was looking intently back at Sasuke. Sasuke could not think about what he was going to say for a moment, looking into Naruto's very blue eyes. He liked the color of them as he had liked the color the sunset. He wanted to lean down and…

Naruto said, "I'm serious, Sasuke. What're you thinking about, looking so serious?"

Sasuke snapped back into the present and shook his head. He had to think of a way to divert the conversation.

"It's nothing," he said.

"I don't believe you," Naruto said.

Sasuke had been thinking of danger recently, so he thought that something along those lines would work. He remembered the Akatsuki were after Naruto. Always make the lie close to the truth.

Sasuke said, "I'm worried about the Akatsuki."

Naruto's eyes were showing even more brightly. So was his smile.

He said, "Our friends'll protect us. Believe it. We don't have anything to worry about."

Sasuke stood up and stepped to one side so Naruto could get up. The sun had risen in the sky and it was getting warmer, and Sasuke thought they should head back to the apartment. He needed to do some physical exercise and manipulate his chakra to see how out of shape he was. He would need them to defend Naruto while he was in Konoha.

"I'll protect you too," he said.

Naruto sat up and smiled. The words Sasuke had thrown out to comfort Naruto suddenly made Sasuke realize he was not lying. He would protect Naruto if an attack came, and it took all of his focus to tear his mind back to the exercises he would do later that day.

Naruto said, "You don't have to say it. I know you will, and I'll protect you just the same."

Sasuke helped Naruto get up and picked up his jacket, shaking the grass of off it. Naruto was being ridiculous, because no one was coming after him, and Naruto would need his protection far more than the other way around if someone came to attack.

"Idiot," he said, "You protect me? You couldn't stop me from surprising you when you had half a minute to get ready back at Orochimaru's. We need to train, if anything."

Naruto nodded and made a vague promise about training the next day, and they both began to walk to the tree line. Sasuke was glad they would get back to the town before the heat in the middle of the day. As he thought and walked without paying attention he felt Naruto grab his hand, and he let his hand hang loosely on Naruto's. He would talk with him about public affection later, but he needed to maintain appearances for his plan to work. He made himself ignore that he tightened his grip on Naruto's hand. He would let go when they got back to the village. It was just an act. Just an act.

They went on like that for a good while.

* * *

><p>One Month Later<p>

* * *

><p>Kakashi approached Tsunade's office door with his hands in his pockets. He stopped in front of it and took a very deep breath, closing his eyes. He drew his hand out of his pocket to knock on the door when it opened, and Tsunade, eyebrows furrowed and scowling, was face to face with him.<p>

She said, "You're late again, Kakashi."

Kakashi said, "I was checking on Naruto and Sasuke, Lady Hokage."

Tsunade sighed and stepped to the side.

She said, "You have an actual excuse, then. That's a first. Your mission bears directly on what we need to talk about, so come in."

Kakashi entered the room. Jiraiya was standing behind the desk, looking out the window, and when Kakashi entered he turned to face him and winked.

"Hello, Kakashi," he said, "I hear Naruto's not training as much as he should."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, Lord Jiraiya. He hasn't been training, but that's because of his assigned mission. I'm here to speak to the Lady Hokage about it. I take it we won't be talking just about that today, Lady Tsunade?" he said.

Tsunade walked behind her desk and sat in the chair.

She said, "We have other things we need to discuss, but first Jiraiya and I want to hear your report. I understand we've got a problem for Naruto's current mission."

Kakashi said, "Yes, it's taken a definite turn for the worse. In the few months Sasuke has been back in Konoha they have certainly bonded on many levels, and this would tell us that Naruto's mission is already a success. Sasuke can use his chakra, but he's made no moves to leave again. The bad news is that many villagers have become aware of the nature of the relationship between Sasuke and Naruto. I traced the rumors to a tailor who saw them lying out in the training field about a month ago. The people familiar with Naruto and all of Naruto's friends are often uneasy, but they still protect him or don't say anything about it. The problem's that the majority of the citizens don't know Naruto beyond sight or passing acquaintance and are starting to treat him and Sasuke…negatively."

Tsunade nodded and pushed her hair back. Her fierce brown eyes moved to Jiraiya.

"This brings us to the news I'd like Jiraiya to deliver before we decide what to do about the mission," she said.

Jiraiya said, "I've been gathering information for a while, now, and from my sources I can say two Akatsuki are on their way to collect the nine-tailed fox. I've not been able to find useful intelligence on these two men beyond their names, Kakuzu and Hidan, but we should consider them a serious threat as members of Akatsuki. Also, Itachi Uchiha's left the organization, and an unknown ninja's taken his place. I couldn't discover the circumstances of these events or his motivation for leaving."

Kakashi said, "So, you want me to offer my opinion on whether we should keep them in the village, is that it?"

Tsunade nodded.

"Well," Kakashi said, "I believe that we should send them out of the village with their team and a senior ninja so they can defend themselves while staying on the move. I think it would be best if we sent Team Kakashi, Sasuke, and a select few of Naruto's friends to gather reconnaissance and then keep on the move while providing support for another squad that will eliminate the two Akatsuki. After the mission is accomplished we could leave Sasuke and Naruto with you for a time until we know more about what we're fighting, Lord Jiraiya. If they're on the move they'll be harder to find."

Tsunade said, "How can you be so sure that Sasuke would actively aid us in a mission, or that he's in a condition to?"

Kakashi said, "He wants to protect Naruto, nothing else. If he has to do this to be with him, he'll do it without question and has no physical impediment to assisting us."

"Well, if they come with me and are busy…enjoying each other they won't bother me as I research for my new book," Jiraiya said and smiled wryly, "Of course I'd also like more time to train with Naruto. So, if you agree Tsunade, I'll take them on."

Tsunade said, "I think I'll speak with Naruto and decide how he feels about the proposed mission. Where is he right now, Kakashi?"

Kakashi scratched his head and shrugged.

He said, "Ah, they're just roaming around the village. They left Naruto's place when I came here."

She said, "I'll send Shizune to find them, then. Continue with your assignment, Kakashi."

Kakashi walked out of the room with his hands in his pocket, just as he came. Jiraiya was chuckling and walked towards the door himself.

"Well, I hope I don't get in over my head. I remember that Uchiha kid's a little ice queen, but I'll do my best. I bet a bath house'll loosen him up," he said.

He stepped out and shut the door. Tsunade turned to the stack of paperwork on her desk and shook her head, and she crossed her arms and laid her head on them. She needed a nap before she had to talk to Naruto. They did not pay her enough.

* * *

><p>Naruto had gotten Sasuke to go walk with him the few weeks since they had woken up in the training field, and Sasuke had talked more than he wanted to. He was reconnecting. But he could not get away while the ANBU was around to keep him from leaving, so he kept on and did his best to keep from getting attached. Sasuke did not really care that everyone stared, even from the windows of the tall buildings of Konoha, when he went through the streets with Naruto, standing closely side-by-side. Today he wore one of the tall-collared, blue shirts with a large Uchiha crest on the back he had quietly taken from the Uchiha compound with capris-length white pants and sandals, and Naruto was wearing his usual orange and black jumpsuit, the jacket unzipped and without his headband. Sasuke had folded away the clothes Naruto bought him for another time. It was a warm, clear day. Sasuke barely talked, but he laughed at the thought that Naruto thought he would ever lie about something like this to someone else, their relationship, even if it were an act on his part. He thought the villagers were acting ridiculous, but he was not going to act a coward in the face of hatred. He looked at Naruto, walking slightly ahead, who looked back at Sasuke and smiled.<p>

He said, "What are you thinking about Sasuke?"

Sasuke thought of how to avoid giving any serious answers. He had made an art of this over the last several weeks.

He said, "Just thinking, idiot. I'm allowed to, aren't I?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, giving him that silly look of disbelief. Sasuke wanted to punch him or give verbal putdown, but it was too soon. The ANBU always shadowing them – Sasuke had detected them the first day they had left Naruto's apartment – would probably stop him even if it were Sasuke acting violent like he and Naruto used to, in a half-serious way.

Naruto said, "Oh, like hell I'll let you just say that."

Sasuke said, "Hn."

Naruto gave up on it, and Sasuke appreciated the silence. They kept walking on and stopped at a small shop on the bottom floor of an apartment building with a blue sign labeled "ice cream" in bubbly white letters above the window.

Naruto said, "Hey, Sasuke, do you want some ice cream?"

Sasuke did not like sweets, and he knew that Naruto knew that. Still, trying to dissuade Naruto from getting something he really wanted would be like trying to stop Choji from getting to a bar-b-q. Sasuke folded his arms and frowned a little, staring at the square-jawed ice cream vendor who stared right back, and he could see from the man's tensed face that he was not going to treat them well.

"Fine, just…get me what you get," he said.

Naruto approached the man who was leaning on the shiny, metal counter, a small electric flan blowing against him. He stood up slowly and stared at Naruto, not saying anything with his eyebrows furrowed. Sasuke should have seen this coming, but he would just let Naruto deal with it. He just stared at the man.

Naruto said, "Hey, can I have two banana ice cream bars?"

The clerk did not speak as his son, who was probably around twelve and had brown hair, opened a freezer and brought the bars to the front to lay them on the counter. The kid had a headband, and Sasuke realized he was probably taking a day off of genin missions to help his dad.

He waved at Naruto and said, "Thank you, sir!"

Naruto smiled and waved back. Sasuke closed his eyes and waited.

Naruto said, "You're welcome."

Sasuke stepped forward, next to Naruto to back him up if he had to.

The man with the square jaw said, "Don't talk to him or that boy with the black hair, ever."

He turned back to Naruto, now scowling. Sasuke did not like the feeling of anger that was permeating the atmosphere around the man, and he balled his hands, tucked against his armpits, into fists.

The shopkeeper said, "Just take the ice cream, and don't ever talk to my boy again."

The man's eyes widened, and Sasuke saw Naruto was the reason why. Naruto was gripping his fists tightly and shaking, and Sasuke decided to try to calm him down before something bad happened. He put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, and Naruto slowly relaxed his body, letting out a deep sigh. Sasuke made himself stop frowning and adopt his expressionless face so he could keep his own anger from affecting his voice.

He said, "Naruto, it's ok. Not here."

Naruto looked at the shopkeeper right in the eyes.

"I'll be the Hokage someday," he said, "and you'll see me for the person I am and not hate me and Sasuke like so many others in this village have without knowing us. I'm a loyal shinobi and defender of Konoha, so never treat me like an enemy again. Ever. Thank you for the ice cream."

Sasuke took his hand off Naruto's shoulder. Naruto amazed Sasuke because of how strong his will still was to gain other's recognition, and he pushed back a little admiration and envy. He had to push back his feelings for Naruto far too often for his liking. The man at the counter had already lost any expression of antagonism and was just looking at Naruto, mouth open. Naruto picked up the ice cream, handing Sasuke one of the packaged bars

He said, "Let's go, Sasuke."

Sasuke muttered something like a yes and started following Naruto down the dusty street. He did not even think about opening the ice cream bar, and he wanted to try to get Naruto to avoid going out and having to deal with hostility.

He said, "Maybe we shouldn't go out on walks together, Naruto. It gets us a lot of bad attention."

Naruto reached back and grabbed Sasuke's hand. It made Sasuke feel warmth grow in his body and a tingle.

Naruto said, "I'm not going to rot in my apartment doing nothing. That's dumber than coming out here."

Sasuke squeezed Naruto's hand back a little without thinking.

He said, "Only you would want to keep putting up with this."

Naruto laughed a little and scratched his head.

"Well, I can't be Hokage if I never leave my apartment, can I? Oh, yeah, I forgot to ask you. Since we're already out, do you want to go and…?"

A female voice was calling out loudly. Sasuke looked back and saw that Shizune was running after them, and he let go of Naruto's hand quickly and folded his arms. He could not look weak when he was around other people. How had he let himself slip up so easily?

She said, "Lady Tsunade, I found them!"

Tsunade ran after her, her green jacket flapping in the wind, and they both came to a stop behind the confused boys. Sasuke let Naruto step forward to speak, as he had nothing to say to the Hokage.

"Grandma Tsunade, what do you want?" He said.

Tsunade looked at him, irritated. It amused Sasuke that she was so easily bothered, just like Naruto in his own way. He had heard from Orochimaru about Tsunade's great temper.

She said, "I have a new mission for you and Sasuke, Naruto."

Of course Sasuke knew he would not betray Naruto on a mission, but he wondered how Tsunade knew to trust him too. He thought hard about it. Kakashi must have put in a good opinion on him to give him this perfect chance to escape.

Naruto said, "What's my new mission, then?"

"Sasuke," she said, "I'm sorry, but I have to talk to Naruto about this in private."

Naruto said, "No, don't worry about him, Grandma Tsunade."

It made Sasuke smirk that Naruto was willing to stick up for him, but he understood the Hokage's reluctance to let him listen in.

He started walking away and said, "Fine."

He heard Tsunade start whispering to Naruto and took a turn into an alley, leaning against the wall. He still had not opened his ice cream bar, and he did not intend to. He wondered what mission Tsunade could be giving them. It probably involved the Akatsuki. Good, he needed something to exercise his abilities. He could get away if his strength had recovered well enough. Naruto walked around the corner and looked down the alley at Sasuke, his hand in his pockets. Naruto had a big smile on his face and raised his balled fist out of his pocket, and Sasuke raised his eyebrows at him to ask why.

Naruto said, "Well, I can't tell you what we'll do, but we've got a mission in about a week. Want to train and do some sparring?"

Sasuke smiled, letting his blank expression fall for a moment. He felt a little excited not to be inactive for once, and he wanted to get a hold of a blade. The thought of seeing Naruto's body moving like so many years ago, powerfully and without finesse, made his anticipation greater. He would not admit that, of course. He already knew his answer.

He said, "I thought you'd never ask."


	6. Chapter 6

VI

Sasuke rotated his right arm to make sure he was limber. He had been stretching and running for an hour to warm up, and he finally felt ready to spar. He and Naruto stood in the grassy training field, at opposite ends of the green expanse. The sun was about to set but still beat down and drops of sweat fell down Sasuke's face. Sasuke picked up a sheathed sword on the ground that he had taken from the Konoha armory and drew the blade, which was medium length and not heavy, much like his old one, and he let the light reflect off of the polished steel for a moment as the scabbard dropped. He grabbed the handle with both hands and pointed it at Naruto, who was standing up straight and staring with a slight frown. They had promised to not use any ninjutsu. Sasuke held back an unnecessary putdown, because he even had better clothes, the light and maneuverable Uchiha uniform he had picked up, and better taijutsu technique. He would wait for Naruto's move and take him apart.

Naruto started to jog towards him, and then he stopped and launched his hand forward, opening it to release two kunai. Sasuke ran towards them and did a forward flip over them. He continued his run towards Naruto, the tip of the blade aimed at his chest. Naruto started to run towards him, hooking his fingers into the pouch on his leg and drawing kunai. Sasuke moved now in earnest, making his feet move so quickly that he crossed the distance between him and Naruto in a couple of seconds, and he brought the blade down. Naruto held up a kunai and pressed back against the point of the blade, as Sasuke had planned. He pulled the blade back and swung his right foot behind Naruto's leg to trip him. Naruto fell back towards the ground again, and Sasuke brought the blade down.

He heard ANBU rustling in the trees around him, but he knew Naruto would dodge it or at least receive a non-fatal wound. He had aimed to make a light cut with his sword. He furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Naruto had caught the blade between his hands. Dark, thick blood was oozing down past his wrists. Naruto chuckled and smiled.

He said, "Got you."

Sasuke fell forward when Naruto yanked on the blade, and he felt a fist hit him in the stomach, making him exhale sharply and release the sword. It did not surprise Sasuke that Naruto still had the willingness to never give up. Now he used it strategically, sacrificing little things for the goal. When Sasuke opened his eyes, feeling his back pressed against the uneven grass, Naruto was crouched over his torso and holding a kunai to his neck. Sasuke sighed when he saw Naruto's idiotic smirk.

"Idiot, I haven't practiced in a while. If you'd fought me with more time to train I'd take you down."

Naruto stood up and held out his hand, and Sasuke took it and let him pull him up. He kept holding the hand despite the warm feeling of the blood. Naruto laughed.

He said, "I'm better too, give me a little credit."

Sasuke made himself let go of Naruto's hand and bent down to pick up his sword. Naruto was better, he had to admit, but he would not give up so easily. Before they fought more, he thought he should do something to keep up appearances, though, seeing as there were ANBU watching them. He leaned forward and put his free left arm around Naruto's shoulders, squeezing in a hug. Naruto half-hugged him back after a moment. Sasuke felt Naruto's toned body through the jumpsuit and closed his eyes, and for a moment he let desire, emotional and physical, hold him there.

Naruto said, "Sasuke…"

Then Sasuke smirked, and Naruto turned his head a little as if to listen more clearly, brushing his ear against Sasuke's. Sasuke's eyes turned blood red as he focused the hot feeling his active chakra gave off into his eyes.

Sasuke said, "You're a little better when you fight against someone not long out of the hospital, but I bet you're still the dead last. We're not done here yet, are we?"

Sasuke pulled back from the hug as Naruto did and held up his sword in both hands again, pointing it at Naruto. Naruto spread his legs and held his hands up in a defensive stance. He smiled slightly and narrowed his eyes, and then he snorted. Sasuke had missed that look.

"Believe it, asshole," Naruto said.

* * *

><p>Sakura pushed her hair out of her eyes as she crouched and looked at the lowest shelf of one of many nearly eight feet high, sturdy wooden bookcases against the walls of the small room, all stuffed with scrolls. The walls were grey, cracking concrete, and light came in through a small, foggy window halfway up the wall to Sakura's right. She was wearing her pink shirt and black skirt. She had come to get a scroll on medical jutsu, but it was hard to see in the light. She had been picking up and putting back scroll after scroll on the shelf for what seemed like hours. Finally she picked up a scroll, holding it close to her eyes, and sighed. It was what she was looking for. She stood up and was about to leave when she heard footsteps coming down the wooden steps to her left. She put her hand in her utility pouch and gripped a kunai. Only a few people had access to the Hokage's library, and she did not know who would be coming in at a time like this.<p>

Sasuke walked down, staring straight ahead, and then he stopped and turned his dark eyes to Sakura. He wore the same tall-collared blue shirt he used to but with longer white pants, but the pants had grass stains. The edge of the shirt was torn. Sakura released the kunai. She had not expected to see him of all people, but she had resolved to put her and Sasuke's past issues behind them.

She said, "You scared me, Sasuke. What're you doing here without Naruto? I didn't know you had access."

Sasuke took a few steps closer to her. He did not say anything for a moment but stared at her without an expression. She was opening her mouth to speak when she saw his mouth turn to a small frown, and Sasuke turned his head to look at the bookcase Sakura stood in front of.

"Tsunade said I could look if I didn't take any scrolls. I'm looking for the official correspondence of the Third Hokage," he said.

Sakura waved at a bookshelf across the small room from her. She would leave as quickly as she could, as Sasuke clearly did not want to make small talk.

She said, "That shelf covers the correspondence of the Third and Fourth Hokages. What exactly are you looking for?"

Sasuke walked to that shelf and stared it, his back to Sakura. He had narrowed his eyes.

He said, "I'm looking for any communication between the Third and my clan."

Sakura started to walk to the stairs. She knew Sasuke would get angry if she hung around and bothered him. He had always been very touchy about that, time with Orochimaru or not.

"It's not sorted by topic, but older stuff is on the upper shelves. I hope you find what you're looking for," she said.

She started stepping up the stairs, each step making a soft thump against the wooden steps. She stared at the steps as she ascended.

"Sakura," Sasuke said.

She stopped and looked over at Sasuke. He was staring at her again, but his eyes were not narrow anymore. She did not know what he would want with her. That expressionless face just stared, the dark eyes questioning.

He said, "I-..."

He looked back towards the shelf and frowned, letting himself trail off. Sakura grabbed the railing of the staircase and squeezed it. What couldn't he get out? She could not ignore him, but she wondered what had happened. He had been – he still was – very distant. Had he tried to apologize? She would have to watch him with Naruto to see if Naruto had changed him.

She said, "Bye, Sasuke."

Sasuke did not respond and turned back to push scrolls around after giving a short grunt of acknowledgment. Sakura walked up the stairs and tried to digest what had just happened. She had no hope of having Sasuke, and she had given up that crush over the last three years anyways. But she hoped Sasuke was different now. She hoped he would be her friend. She folded her arms and clasped the scroll against her chest without thinking as she walked out into the streets and the bright light of midday in the Fire Country.

* * *

><p>Sasuke found nothing on the scrolls that mattered to him. It was just marriage contracts and correspondence about missions, and when the date of the massacre occurred they just stopped. He suspected that either Itachi was lying or the correspondence had been destroyed to keep a secret. Sasuke stepped out of the front of the Hokage building, his hands in his pockets. The sun was setting, and the yellow and orange light cast long shadows through the patch of bare ground. Sasuke needed to bathe. His sparring with Naruto had gotten him black and blue bruises on all over his torso, and his muscles did not move easily, stiff from exertion. Sasuke did not know why he had almost apologized to Sakura and made himself look weak. What did he care? He was going to run away soon anyways, when they went out on the mission. It had just come out without being asked for.<p>

He turned to look at Naruto, lying face-up and snoring on a bench in front of the building. He had thrown his jacket on the ground with his sandals and just had his shirt and those awful orange pants on. Sasuke grabbed his shoulder and gave him a hard shove. Naruto's eyes shot open, and he swung off the bench and stood up, holding his fists up. Sasuke rolled his eyes and put his hand back in his pocket. Naruto dropped his fists and rubbed his eyes.

"You scared the hell out of me. You ready to go?"

Sasuke nodded. Naruto reached down and picked up his jacket, and then he slipped the sandals on his feet. Sasuke slowly started walking across the open area, kicking up a little dust with each step, towards the beginning of the street to Naruto's house, which winded its way through the densely populated village. He heard Naruto's rapid steps as he ran to catch up. He turned to look at Naruto with his black eyes as they walked side by side. Tonight was the night of the Bon Festival, and he would go alone to his clan shrine to honor the dead of his family, away from the rest of the village's celebration. He had never had anyone come with him. He wanted to invite Naruto. It would be one last concession to Sasuke's feelings for him before they left for the mission in a few days. Naruto lightly punched him on the shoulder.

He said, "What're you looking at?"

Sasuke stopped, and Naruto stopped with him. Their shadows stretched down the road ahead of them. There were people out in the streets in kimonos of all colors, getting ready to head to the town lake and push their paper lanterns out on the water.

Sasuke said, "Tonight's the Bon Festival. I usually do it by myself, but I'd like you to come."

Naruto said, "I'll go, but I've got to go report to Lady Tsunade and have dinner with Sakura. I'll head over there when I'm done and try to make it before sunset."

Sasuke said, "I'll be at the river clearing just out of town. That's where the clan shrine is."

Sasuke started to walk again, and Naruto still followed. Naruto was looking down at the ground, his eyelids half shut over his blue eyes. The light was making his whisker marks

Naruto said, "I'll be there. I never knew what it was like to lose a family. I can understand a little now."

Sasuke looked up at the sky, which was shading into the dark blue of night.

He said, "How?"

Naruto said, "When you left, I think it felt like that. I'm glad you're back."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and stared ahead, watching his footsteps. Naruto always had more to him than his idiot façade would make you think.

Sasuke said, "Yeah, it's like that."

They were quiet after that and gave each other a hug when they reached a fork in the road. They held it for a long time despite the people watching. Then they silently released each other, and Naruto went left to his apartment. Sasuke went to the old Uchiha clan compound. He had to get ready for tonight and after. He decided then that he would leave right after the Bon.

* * *

><p>The dark, rushing river was thick between the two grassy banks that eventually disappeared into forests. Sasuke dipped his hands into the water as he laid a white, paper lantern on its surface, a candle gently placed inside. The ripples went out into the dark water, only the gentle, flickering light of the single candle laying the darkness bare and the surface of the water naked. He had done this every year of his life, even during his time with Orochimaru. He was wearing a loose, white kimono that breathed well in the summer night, letting the air waft through him and around him, and it bore the Uchiha crest on its back. He had swept out the Uchiha clan shrine by the waterfront, a small tile roof held up by four pillars over a stone floor and a large stone inscribed with the names of those who had passed away. He had remembered his family then. He remembered his parents. He even remembered Itachi.<p>

Still, it would only be him as he waded out into the water until it reached his shins. He closed his eyes and let the sounds of the night inundate him when he heard a sound of a small splash on the water. He opened his black eyes and saw that another lamp floated across the infinity of water from the opposite side of the river, two lights now dancing after one another. Itachi was crouched on the other shore in his own white kimono. Sasuke had not noticed him at the compound, but he knew Itachi was capable of sneaking past him in the huge place. Itachi stood and began walking on the water, giving out small ripples until he stopped over the middle of the river. Sasuke concentrated his chakra in his feet and walked across the top of the water until they were just in front of each other, the two black-haired Uchiha looking at the other and thinking of what to say. When Itachi fell forward into the water Sasuke surrendered his thoughts and braced his brother, who coughed violently.

He said, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Itachi braced himself against Sasuke's arms and lifted his head to look at him. There was blood on Sasuke's kimono sleeve. Itachi's eyes were foggy in the little light that the candles floating down the river provided. Sasuke knew then that part of the letter about the sickness was not a lie, but he was still suspicious. He activated his sharingan and mentally focused his chakra.

Itachi said, "I'm almost blind and very sick, but I had to come for the Bon one last time. It's good I have a chance to talk to you."

He slowly pushed himself up onto the surface with Sasuke holding his arms around him in a hug. The wine dark river was beginning to take the candles so far away that only starlight and moonlight lit up the two brothers, and Sasuke realized his brother must not be able to see at all. He was so much older than Sasuke remembered. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

Sasuke said, "What you said in the letter, about being ordered to kill the clan to keep the peace, is it true? I couldn't find anything in the Hokage's library."

Sasuke saw Itachi's face still had that sad, open quality. The lines from the bridge of his nose down to his cheeks had deepened, but the large, dark, and intense eyes were the same. He did not know whether to hate him now.

"Yes, it's true. The Third Hokage tried to negotiate peace, but dad wouldn't back down. The clan was going to start a war. I did it for the village. I-I couldn't kill you, though," he said, "Let me touch your face. I can't see very well."

Sasuke let him run his fingers lightly over his face, and then threw Itachi's arm over his shoulder and started to walk across the water back to the shore. Itachi laughed. Sasuke wanted to know more, but Itachi was not in a shape to be interrogated. He needed medical attention.

"I can tell how you've grown. I wish I could see you this last time, but I don't really deserve to. I always beg for forgiveness on the Bon when I offer my prayers to the spirits of our family," he said.

When Sasuke reached the shore he let Itachi sink to the ground and sat next to him on the grass. He had so many questions for his brother, but he knew there was no time for that now. He just had to be sure. All of his work for revenge was for nothing?

"Itachi," Sasuke said, "Why did you use Tsukuyomi and make me watch you kill them? Why did you tell me to hate you if it was a lie?

Itachi was silent for a moment, his bangs hanging in his face. Sasuke tightened his fist. He was about to yell at Itachi, and he gritted his teeth.

Itachi said, "I hoped you'd kill me, a disgrace to the family, and save the clan's honor. I gave up on that when you became a missing ninja to come after me. You can't build the clan again if you turn the world against you. It hurt me to see you go so far down a dark path. I regret everything I did, but I won't ask for forgiveness. I don't think I deserve it."

Sasuke fell to his knees and stared at the rushing river in front of him. He still had his fists squeezed tight, and tears came to his eyes. Itachi had planned the whole thing, the horrible injuries and all, to make him stronger. He had never stopped being his loving brother. But would his loving, older brother do something like that to him? Sasuke made himself breathe steadily to control himself, although the hot, wet feeling of tears did not leave his cheeks. Here was his brother, but now that he knew that he could not hate him. He wanted to yell and let it all out. He would not, though. He forced his eyes shut and spoke slowly and quietly.

He said, "I…I don't know what to say. I've put so much into hating you for so long. I don't hate you. I think…I f-forgive you."

Sasuke let the words fall out. He stared straight ahead with trails of tears down his cheeks, but otherwise he had no expression. He felt a sense of relief. He did not have to hate anymore. He could see Itachi staring at him with those deep eyes.

Itachi said, "Thank you, Sasuke. Dying will be easier now."

He stood up shakily and nearly stumbled but for Sasuke again standing to stabilize him. He knew Itachi could not be capable of doing much with whatever illness he had. Itachi pushed him away and stood on his own, blood spots on the fabric of his white kimono.

"I came here to say goodbye, but I have to go. I have one final affair to put in order before I die," he said.

Sasuke grabbed Itachi's shoulder firmly. They locked eyes now, black with black and framed by black bangs.

Sasuke said, "You're in no shape to leave. Stay here in Konoha. If the Hokage knows that you haven't done anything against the village she can clear your name."

Itachi took in a deep breath and stood fully erect, the weakness leaving his body at least in appearance. Sasuke dropped his hand from his brother's shoulder and stared at him. Itachi looked off at the distance, as Sasuke had earlier.

"It'll be my last service to the village, and to you," he said.

Sasuke was going to speak to stop him from leaving when Itachi poked him on the forehead with his first two fingers and turned to him, smiling. He had not seen that smile since he was a child.

Itachi said, "I have business with Orochimaru. I'll see you on the other side, Sasuke, and sooner if I make it out alive. I'm proud of you, little brother. Dad would be too."

Sasuke said, "Itachi!"

Itachi disappeared in a flash and Sasuke could only hear rustling in the distance among the foliage. His hand that reached out for his brother fell down to his side, and he could only muster the will to look down at the two lamps that were nearly out of sight in the darkness. He wanted Itachi to stay and talk. He wiped his eyes with the white sleeve of his kimono, leaving a dark spot, and closed his eyes. He had managed to forgive him, though, and he had to think of how to do what he had always put off. He had to bring back his clan. He heard Naruto's shout.

"Hey, Sasuke! I'm really, really sorry I couldn't make it. I talked to Sakura for a long time."

Sasuke heard his footsteps come to a crunching halt behind him.

He said, "It's fine, I'm already done."

"Is everything alright? Why'd you bleed on your kimono?" Naruto said.

Sasuke turned his head back a little.

He said, "Yeah, I'm alright. Just some cuts from earlier."

He knew Naruto would understand how he would feel at a ceremony like this and not push it, so he would not mention Itachi. It was not something he wanted to share with anybody, even someone he loved. Naruto nodded. They both turned and walked up the dirt path Naruto had come down, next to the shrine, and Sasuke only turned to look back and see that the two lamps were now so far away as nearly to disappear. Finally, they vanished one after the other on the horizon with the spirits of his family and ancestors, small lights in a vast darkness.

Sasuke would not be running away that night.


	7. Chapter 7

VII

Naruto leaped ahead to another branch, making it creak and dip lower, and looked from side to side at the tall, old, thick trees that filled this forest. Kakashi had assigned him to a middle position so that he would be protected from any Akatsuki ambush that might occur. Ahead he could see Kakashi at the front, followed by Sai, Yamato and Sakura, and Sasuke and Neji were following behind him. Neji had been given the rear so he could make sure the Akatsuki did not follow them from a distance with his perfect vision of the woods all around them. They had been traveling the forest for almost a week now, scouting, and they all had the muddy, wrinkled clothes to prove it. Naruto smiled at the thought of finally getting to fight, even if Kakashi had taken a lot of precautions against hot headedness by making them go in formation and having Neji come to assist. He had been waiting in the village too long doing nothing with Sasuke for his taste. He could go on a new mission with Sasuke, finally. He looked back and saw Sasuke, who wore the black jacket and pants Naruto had gotten him – he had said the black was better for stealth – with a new sword hanging behind him to replace his old one.

Naruto said, "Like those clothes, after all?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Naruto hope to get a rise out of him.

Sasuke said, "Don't hit that branch, dumbass."

Naruto looked forward and barely ducked under a branch. He made a recovery and got back into position. Kakashi waved his hand.

He said, "Hey, Naruto, keep looking out as assigned. If we get ambushed because of you I'll hand you over to them."

Naruto grinned, but he did not say anything else. Kakashi would likely smack him if he started teasing while they were out on patrol. Neji called out from the back. Naruto looked and saw that the veins around his white eyes were thick from use of his bloodline limit.

"I can see two men in robes as described belonging to the Akatsuki on a road to the North East, about two miles," he said.

Kakashi held up his hand for the group to stop, and Naruto almost crashed into Sakura, landing next to her on the same branch. She pushed him down. He rolled when he hit and stood up, and Sakura jumped down next to him.

"You're so clumsy, Naruto," she said.

"I didn't know clumsy meant getting pushed," Naruto said.

Sakura smiled and turned to walk to where Kakashi stood with Yamato and Neji, a small clearing that the sun shone down into. Kakashi had cracked his yellow Icha-Icha Paradise open while he waited for them. Sasuke and Sai jumped down. Sai smiled that little fake smile of his and walked after Sakura. Sasuke stared at Naruto with his black eyes and crossed his arms. Naruto scratched his head and raised an eyebrow, because Sasuke had not acted so cold for a few days.

Sasuke said, "Promise me you'll stay back from the fight. They're after you, and I don't want you to do something stupid and get captured. There's enough of us to handle two of these people."

Sasuke was being protective of him? Naruto wondered what had happened to the stoic teammate who best expressed affection with hugs, short grunts, and swinging swords at him. His thoughts were cut short when Sasuke unfolded his arms and grabbed Naruto's shoulder. He pulled him closer and leaned forward to whisper into his ear.

He said, "Promise, now."

Naruto said, "O-ok, I promise."

That defeated all resolve Naruto had to bother with it. He had forgotten how serious Sasuke could get when they were out on missions. Sasuke leaned back and gave Naruto a quick kiss on the cheek, and then he turned and started walking to the rest of the team standing in a small, grassy clearing. Naruto followed, shoving his hands in his pockets and feeling heat in his cheeks. Sasuke did not kiss him often or vice versa, because it was not in character for either of them. But when he did it made it hard for Naruto to think straight. The two of them stood at the edge of the gathering. Kakashi closed his book and stuffed it into his utility pouch strapped to his waist, and his one eye locked on Yamato.

He said, "Let's decide on strategy. We're not sure about the exact abilities of these two ninja, but I've got enough information on them from our archival reports to give a general idea."

Kakashi paused and took a breath.

"First we have the senior partner, Kakuzu. He's a very powerful shinobi that rumor holds to have betrayed his village. He seems to have a large variety of jutsu, so we should be wary before we know all of his capabilities. The second shinobi is Hidan, who a report Kumokagure shared with us says is impervious to injury. Don't worry about harming him unless it will incapacitate him, as any wound that doesn't stop him from physically striking will leave you open for attack. We don't know anything about his jutsu, so we'll have to observe. Who has some ideas for an initial strategy?" he said.

Neji stepped forward. He had tied back his long, brown hair and no longer had bulging veins around his eyes. He wore the black underclothes and green flak jacket of a jonin. Naruto frowned a little at the reminder that he was still a genin, like Sasuke.

He said, "I'll look at them when we're closer and see what their chakra networks are like. This could reveal something about their jutsu."

Naruto looked at the ground and stopped himself from raising his hand to volunteer and fight. He wondered how he could help, and the thought hit him. He could use his bunshin to offer support.

Sai said, "I'll stay back with Sakura so that I can intervene and remove any of our injured ninja if it doesn't go as well as planned."

"Well," Kakashi said, "anything else?"

"Well, I'll send my shadow clones first to gauge the threat level, Kaka sensei. If it worked in training more quickly it will be great to help understand the enemy," Naruto said.

Naruto knew that it was not his ideal position to actually fight the hunters, but he thought Kakashi would at least accept that. Kakashi nodded, and Naruto smiled. To his surprise Sasuke began to speak.

"Please send me in first after we've gauged their combat ability. I'll separate them from one another and make the combat much easier than fighting both at once would be," he said.

Naruto grabbed his sleeve and looked at him with his mouth open. Sasuke was doing what he had told Naruto not to do.

"No, Sasuke," he said, "You shouldn't go in by yourself."

Sasuke slipped out of Naruto's grip and grabbed his hand tightly. His black eyes locked with Naruto's, and Sasuke's sigh made Naruto frown.

He said, "Don't worry about me. Do you think I haven't trained at all in the last three years?"

Kakashi nodded. Sasuke let go of Naruto's hand, and Naruto looked back to Kakashi. He gave up for now. He would give Sasuke hell about it later.

"Sasuke, I'll let you create a diversion. I believe you should engage Hidan, since your kenjutsu'll let you to incapacitate him by damaging his body without reliance on ninjutsu. Yamato, stay with Naruto in the rear. To prevent Sasuke from being pursued by both of the Akatsuki I'll engage Kakuzu with Neji, with Naruto, Sai and Sakura providing combat and first aid support if needed. Any questions?" he said.

Naruto did not care about the plan now. He was worried about Sasuke. Sasuke looked at him and frowned a little.

He said, "Don't worry about me, Naruto."

Naruto was about to speak when Kakashi interrupted.

He said, "Get back into formation. Neji, be in front of me this time so we can observe them. Let's go."

Sasuke let go of his hand and jumped behind Naruto to get into his position. Naruto's doubt still lingered, but the kiss had helped immensely. Also, the adrenaline was starting to kick in. Naruto was ready to fight.

* * *

><p>Sasuke suppressed his chakra when Neji gave the arranged hand signal. He would surprise and take out the Hidan before he could react. Neji pointed ahead of them and spoke quietly.<p>

He said, "They're on a small trail about sixty feet ahead of us. I'll go ahead and try to observe their chakra while Naruto distracts them."

Neji ran into the underbrush, completely silent, and Kakashi waved at Naruto, who immediately formed the seal to use the shadow clone jutsu. Six shadow clones appeared and began running in the direction of the enemy. After a few moments Sasuke saw Naruto nod and wave his hand for everyone to huddle in closely. Sasuke put his hand on the hilt of his sword and mentally ran through some of the sword exercises he had been working on before the mission began.

He said, "The immortal guy has a scythe, but he doesn't move very quickly. The other guy used multiple elemental jutsu and could harden his body before he struck. They both have good taijutsu, too."

Sasuke knew that he would have his best chances with the scythe user, as he had thought.

He said, "Then I'll go ahead and distract Hidan. The rest of the group can handle the other one."

Kakashi gave him thumbs up and they broke formation. Sasuke leaped up into a tree and jumped slowly from branch to branch to get closer, focusing chakra in his eyes and looking with the sharingan for any movement. Finally he arrived at the clearing around the overgrown dirt path, but he could not see anyone there. He knew an ambush waited whenever Neji went out on to the road.

A voice called out, "Hey, Kakuzu, I found one of them!"

Sasuke put his hand on his sword as Neji jumped back out of the woods right below him and pulled a kunai out of his utility pouch. A handsome man with long, grey hair that had been slicked back and carrying a large, red scythe attached to a long, iron chain was smiling and started laughing. He wore the black robe of the Akatsuki with red clouds printed on it.

"Damn, Kakuzu, this little fuck thinks he can take me on," he said.

Another figure, wearing a mask over his lower face and having an olive tone of skin, stepped out of the woods on the opposite side of Neji, who jumped up into a tree and adopted a defensive stance. Kakuzu had the same robe. Sasuke tensed his legs to be ready to jump in at the right moment.

Kakuzu said with a deep voice, "You shouldn't underestimate our enemy, Hidan. The shadow clone user shows there's more than one around here."

Hidan threw his scythe and cut the branch Neji stood on, causing him to jump to another tree. He drew it back and laughed more loudly. This guy annoyed Sasuke, and he would enjoy cutting him down.

"You're no fun, you cranky bastard. I have to have _someone_ to sacrifice to Lord Jashin, and we've got the perfect prey with us now," he said.

Kakuzu turned his green, pupil-less eyes at Hidan and shook his head.

"Fine," he said, "I won't step in. We'll see if you learn your lesson."

Sasuke knew it was his time to intervene, unsheathing his sword. He watched Hidan begin running at Neji at a sprint and waited until he was almost ready to swing his large, three-pronged scythe. Then in a flash he leaped down and appeared in front of Neji, swinging down his blade and feeling the flesh and bone tear as Hidan's arm detached from his body. He smirked when the blood landed on his shirt, and Hidan jumped back and started yelling.

"Hey, who the fuck are you? I'll kill you for that. Kakuzu, reattach my arm!" he said.

Sasuke picked up the arm and threw it behind him. He had no intention of allowing his opponent a chance in a fight with him.

He said, "I am Sasuke Uchiha. Prepare to die."

Neji said from behind, "Sasuke, thanks for covering me. Don't worry as much about Hidan, Kakuzu has a lot more under that robe than meets the eye. He has four different types of chakra that I can perceive."

"I can't die, you dumbass. Do you think you're scaring me?" Hidan said.

He drew his scythe's chain in with his left hand and picked it up. Kakuzu began to walk towards them. Sasuke let his sword point to the ground, feeling confident about facing Hidan, and Kakuzu's two green eyes stared at him.

He said, "See, you shouldn't go into things without a good plan. I wish I _could_ kill you, Hidan."

Kakashi and three of Naruto's shadow clones jumped down from branches above, simultaneously releasing kunai that flew at Kakuzu, who backpedaled while deflecting their punches. Neji immediately jumped to their aid, leaving Sasuke behind with Hidan. Sasuke walked back into the undergrowth and picked up Hidan's arm, waving it at him. His opponent did not seem the intelligent type, so he would bait him.

Hidan said, "Hey, you little fuck, give me my arm back!"

Sasuke said, "Come and get it."

Hidan charged at him and swung his scythe, which Sasuke easily dodged save for a small cut on his ankle that barely breached the skin, sending a sharp pain up his leg. He ignored the wound and sliced at Hidan's neck, but Hidan dodged and took a small cut on his shoulder, blood trickling down his robe. Hidan smiled widely, showing all of his white teeth. He jumped back a good distance and licked the small amount of blood off of his scythe, his skin color changing to black with what seemed a skeletal outline of white over it. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and focused chakra. Hidan pulled the robe open and let it hang around his waist then stabbed his wrist with one of the blades on the scythe. Then he turned the scythe over and drew a circle around himself with the blood.

"You tried to taunt me, but now I'm going to kill you and please Lord Jashin. You will be a worthy sacrifice," he said.

Sasuke threw the limp, bloody arm to the ground. He knew that this was bad and in a second appeared in front of Hidan, his sharingan activated, swinging his sword so that it lodged itself into Hidan's thigh. He felt a pain shoot through his leg and warm streams – blood? – trickling down his leg, and he fell hard to the ground, recovering his composure enough to jump back and crouch as he assessed the situation. Hidan was staring at him with his eyes wide open and a large grin.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Here, enjoy this," he said.

He drew out a small rod that telescoped into a spear and stabbed his other leg above the knee. Sasuke felt blood course down again and fell face down on the ground, crying out from the pain. Sasuke realized that Hidan had not been trying to kill him but to get his blood to use this jutsu. He had to break it now.

Hidan said, "Nothing is more joyful than the experience of sharing pain, eh? It's so fucking wonderful and spiritual, beyond anything else in this world. The best is feeling someone die with you. It's perfection. I'm ready to feel you die."

He drew the spear forward and held it over his heart, preparing to plunge it in. Sasuke's eyes opened wide, and his leg shook as he tried to make it stand straight. He could not. He stared at Hidan, black and red eyes spinning madly. He could not lose here.

* * *

><p>Naruto assimilated the experience from another group of shadow clones and thought over the information. Kakuzu had destroyed them with a fire jutsu, one of the four elements he could use.<p>

Naruto performed the hand seal again and sent out more clones, one of which would report the strategy to Kakashi, who with Neji and Yamato, who had to leave Naruto to take part in the battle, were having a hard time coping with Kakuzu. He could harden his skin so that no weapon could penetrate it, and Neji had to wait for openings created by the more long-range fighters. Still, they had a chance to beat him. Naruto nearly jumped when he suddenly noticed that Sai was running towards him and yelling.

"Naruto, Sasuke's critically injured. Hidan's captured him in some kind of jutsu that connects their bodies and put out Sasuke's legs. You have to come help so I can remove him from the battlefield."

Naruto tensed his muscles and shook his head. This could not be happening. He knew Sasuke should not have gone alone. He ran towards Sasuke's position and saw that Hidan had positioned a spear over his chest and was preparing to ram it into a vital point. Naruto yelled as loud as he could.

"Don't you touch Sasuke!" he said.

Hidan turned as the spear went in, plunging all the way through him. Sasuke almost stopped moving, only breathing heavily.

Hidan said, "You made me miss the heart!"

He pulled the spear out and held it over his heart again. Naruto would not allow it, rushing at him with an orange chakra shroud beginning to form around him as punched Hidan and pushed him out of the circle. Hidan punched Naruto to the ground and then kicked him up into the air to deliver a blow with the back of his scythe that left his head spinning. He stepped back into the circle he had made.

Naruto felt the first tail forming and the heat around him from the chakra. He did not care if he had to do this. Sasuke would not die here.

**Use my power, Naruto. I will destroy your enemies for you.**

_Fine, you stupid fox. Save Sasuke._

He could hear a laugh coming from the prison within him.

**Very well.**

Naruto realized that he could not control his body as the heat around him intensified. He saw himself, as if watching someone else from a distance, charge at Hidan and grab his arm. He saw his mouth open and a look of terror in his eyes. Naruto could only with great strength make himself push Hidan out of the circle before letting the fox have its way. He had realized that Sasuke only suffered when Hidan stood in the circle, and he would not let the fox hurt Sasuke.

Hidan said, "Hey, what the fuck, kid!"

Naruto did not listen. Grabbing Hidan's remaining arm, he tore it off and threw it away, blood splashing all over the ground. Then he punched him, the chakra cloak burning through his chest and out the other side of his body, and Naruto completed the assault by punching him in the face and sending him flying into a large tree with his neck now bent at an unnatural angle.

His vision of the real world began to fade. His mind transported him to the cage within his soul, Kyuubi's eyes glowing within.

"Hey, we saved Sasuke. I don't need you anymore. Go back into your cage," he said.

The Kyuubi's laugh echoed throughout the vast chambers, and orange chakra started to bubble out and surround Naruto. He felt himself began to fade and could not move, but then a hand settled on his shoulder.

Sasuke said, "I told you to stay back, you dumbass."

Naruto turned and saw Sasuke standing shakily in the prison, clutching his side and the black tomoe of the sharingan spinning in his red irises. The fox's voice boomed from behind the iron bars.

It said, "Your chakra…it's just like Madara Uchiha's from a long time ago."

Sasuke looked the fox in the eyes and snorted.

"I don't care," he said, "You won't hurt him. Go back in your damn cage."

He reached out with his hand and made it into a fist. All of the chakra bubbling out of the gates evaporated into nothing and Naruto felt like he was coming up for air. He looked at Sasuke to ask him how he was there, but began yelling and crying when Sasuke fell to the ground, blood coming from his side and forming a red pool around him. All of the prison around them began to flake away like a fire was burning it and showing the real world piece by piece. Naruto dived to the ground and lay over Sasuke. He was crying harder. He was begging Sasuke not to die.


	8. Chapter 8

VIII

When Naruto awoke the darkness surrounding him caused him to reach and try to find something to hold on to, bumping into something rough and causing a sharp pain in his hand. Then suddenly someone grabbed him and pushed him completely to the ground, and he tried to resist. Finally when he turned over, his eyes barely flickering open, he saw that Sakura was above him with a finger over her mouth and a very tense expression. He would try to whisper as best he could with Sakura clearly alert.

"W-where's Sasuke?"

Sakura leaned down close to his ear and whispered back.

"He's with Sai nearby. Don't worry, he'll be fine. Sai took Hidan's head and buried it nearby. We're just trying to stay put until they get the other Akatsuki down."

Naruto realized that moonlight was illuminating Sakura. They had been fighting until it was dark out? How long had he been unconscious? He felt fine now, and he wanted to go check on Sasuke. He grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her so she would lean over.

"Hey, let me go over to check on Sasuke. I'm already healed."

She looked down at him and bit her lip. He was not sure for a while that she would let him go, but she finally scooted back and pointed towards a nearby tree. He stood up as fast as he could without feeling woozy and ran over to the tree. The sounds of explosions were resounding not too far distant from where they were, and smoke was rising up over the tree tops and blocking out the stars. He thought of how tough the battle must be, but something much more immediate took his attention.

Sai looked up at him, sitting against the tree. Sasuke was lying on the ground with portions of his clothes torn and bandages applied on his body at the tears. Most thankfully of all for Naruto, he was definitely breathing consistently. Sasuke almost looked peaceful, even. He wanted to take Sasuke away from there, but he knew that they could not afford to leave his team fighting Kakuzu. He could at least stay here with him until he awoke.

Sai said, "He would have defeated Hidan alone if Hidan didn't have such a special jutsu hidden from him. He's a very powerful ninja."

Naruto nodded and bent down to brush his hand against Sasuke's cheek. He was a very powerful ninja now, wasn't he? He remembered how fast Sasuke had gone when he had attacked him at Orochimaru's hideout weeks ago, too.

Sai said, "You do really care for him, don't you?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, "I really do, believe it."

Sai reached up and scratched his head.

"It is very hard for me to understand emotions, as you know, but even I can see that you care a lot for each other. All of the weeks you have been together, despite what so many people have said to you in Konoha, I've been surprised to find out that you two truly had what everyone calls love," he said.

"What was surprising about it?" Naruto said.

Sai looked upwards and scratched his head again.

"I read from many books in the library that men who like each other are very sexual and depraved. I read that love is between a man and a woman, and this love only has passion and depth when the opposite genders come together. It's obviously wrong, though," he said.

Naruto felt some kind of pride filling him up and smiled a little.

"You two are devoted to one another. Indeed, he wouldn't have stayed in the village if he hadn't joined with you in some way. It's interesting you express it by sparring and fighting to protect each other. You have love like I haven't seen among other people our age always occupied with doing missions, and I want you to know that as a friend I'm not nervous or anxious about you being a homosexual. Books can't teach me everything, and I know there's nothing wrong about what you two are."

Naruto sighed and just nodded this time. He was getting a little frustrated Sai would not shut up and let him have a moment. He tried to blow it off.

Naruto said, "Ah, Sai, don't make me feel all blown up and important."

Sai leaned forward and looked Naruto in the eyes. His voice had a firmer tone.

"You should feel important. You brought our friend back and found love with him. It's made me understand how important this emotion is."

Now Sai suddenly smiled as if to make up for the tension, like he always did at awkward moments. Naruto wanted to punch him right in the jaw by for making him and Sasuke sound so lovey dovey.

He said, "I hope to find love some day too, if this is what it is."

Naruto inhaled and nodded for what felt the millionth time. He appreciated what Sai was saying and did not want to seem mean, so he tried to put it the nicest way he could. He needed just a moment to himself.

"Uh…Thanks Sai. I'm, uh…going to help to Sasuke now," Naruto said.

He looked away from him and back to Sasuke. He stirred a little bit now when Naruto reached down to touch his face, and he grabbed Naruto's hand as if he were defending himself against an enemy. Naruto was going to tell him to take it easy when Sasuke opened his eyes slightly and spoke haltingly.

"…ok?" he said.

Naruto gripped his hand in return.

"Yeah, we took care of that Hidan guy. They're working on taking out Kakuzu now."

Sasuke shook his head.

"No," he said, "I meant…are you…alright?"

Naruto laughed a little bit.

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm all right. Believe it. You're the one lying on the ground covered in bandages. I was so worried about you."

Sasuke looked up at the canopy of the trees above and let his eyes close. Naruto thought he saw Sasuke relax and approach a truly peaceful expression for the first time since he had been on the mission.

"Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself. You're the one who needs someone to look after you. Next time I won't let them touch you."

"You're being ridiculous. Of course I'll worry about you, Sasuke. You can't go off and do this when I've worked so hard to try to bring you back to the village."

Sasuke's smirk deserted his face. Now he reached up and touched Naruto's cheek, tracing the whisker marks with his hand. Naruto shivered from the chills the touch provided.

Sai stood up behind them and said, "I think it's appropriate for me to go and join the battle."

Naruto smiled since Sai could not see him. Finally.

Naruto said, "Thanks, Sai."

Sai's footsteps carried off into the distance.

Sasuke exhaled deeply and said, "You replaced me with him?"

"Well, we didn't have a choice. He's really nice when you get to know him, but he tries too hard, reading books about how to behave and all of that. He doesn't have any idea of what to do," he said.

He and Sasuke went back to touching each other's faces and speaking, in a way, by just looking and moving. Finally Sasuke reached his arm around Naruto and pulled him to the ground, pushing their lips together and kissing. This was a rare display of physical affection, like the kiss before the battle, and it made Naruto shiver. It was not passionate, but they both kissed lightly again a few times, Naruto rejoicing in that Sasuke had lived through the ordeal. He wished they could lie together for the night, because he had not slept for long and was fatigued from lack of sleep.

Naruto had something to say when a gust of wind blew by on the other side of the tree they were hiding behind, making a grinding noise as the tree began to fall away from. Naruto stood up and turned his back to Sasuke. He was going to defend him.

A humanoid creature whose skin had split open at the seams and released large amounts of what looked like black hair was approaching the fallen tree. He did not seem to notice Naruto, and suddenly the tree began to change shape and wrap itself around the creature. Naruto saw Yamato now, up on a branch making a hand sign. He realized it must be Kakuzu.

Kakuzu began to break the branches around him, but at just that time Kakashi ran from behind with blue lightning pulsing around his hand and making high-pitched chirps. He stabbed it into the Kakuzu's back and caused him to freeze in place. Kakashi pulled his fist out and yelled at Naruto.

"Naruto," he said, "Hit him with your rasengan to finish him off."

Naruto knew that he had enough chakra to do so. He quickly produced a shadow clone that forged the chakra in his hand, and he ran at Kakuzu. The Akatsuki bastards who wanted to kill him and almost killed Sasuke would pay. Fury replaced the tenderness of a moment before. When he reached the immobilized ninja he drove the attack home, landing it firmly on Kakuzu's head and causing the skin around the cables to completely dissolve. When he stood back, breathing heavily, he saw the shattered remains of the wood and Kakuzu's broken body lying on the ground. Kakashi walked up and put his hand on his shoulder, breathing hard and shifting some of his weight onto Naruto. He must have been tired.

"Good job, Naruto. Yamato and I didn't have the chakra left to finish him."

Naruto nodded, but something was wrong. He had not seen all of the team members.

"Where's Neji?"

Kakashi said, "Don't worry about Neji. We sent him back to Konoha with the combat information we had recorded in case that we had to retreat and fight them again. We did a little more than scout, though."

"No kidding," said Naruto, looking at the shattered landscape.

Sai, Sakura and Yamato all walked over to join them, Sakura healing Yamato's wounds when they stopped, a deep gash in his shoulder dripping blood down his said.

Yamato said, "Next time you should be the decoy for his attacks, Kakashi sempai."

Kakashi laughed,

He said, "Well, you're the best long range ninja we had. I couldn't have kept him at bay nearly as well."

Naruto's eyes opened wide. The two of them had handled the enemy almost alone. Kakashi looked at Naruto and a smile formed under his mask.

He said, "We're also very proud of you, Sasuke, Sakura, Sai. You defeated a member of the Akatsuki and made our fight a hell of a lot easier."

Sakura said, "Hey, Naruto, don't forget to help Sasuke. He can't walk on his own."

Sai smiled and said, "He might not fuck you if you don't go get him and carry him home."

Now they all looked at Sai. Everyone looked away or laughed awkwardly, and Naruto leaned back and kept himself from annihilating Sai up right there. He just had to walk away, so he turned and walked to go get Sasuke, who was still lying on the ground where he left him, half-awake. Sasuke's onyx eyes turned towards him and he raised an eyebrow. Naruto realized he must have been blushing wildly.

"Don't worry about it. Sai just said something awkward. I'm going to carry you, so brace yourself."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and murmured his assent. Naruto reached under him, one arm under his legs and the other under his back, and he was careful not to pull to hard or move suddenly, accidentally reopening the wounds. Sasuke coughed and Naruto could see a little blood on his hands.

"Are you ok?"

Sasuke wiped his hand on his black pants.

"I'll be fine with a few days rest. Don't' worry about me."

Naruto was worried, but he did not want to push him. He carried them over to the group, and Sai was looking at the ground while everyone else was tapping their fingers or trying to pass the time without speaking. He guessed they must have told Sai why what he said was inappropriate. Good.

"Sasuke coughed up a little blood. Can we take him back to Konoha for treatment before you leave us with Jiraiya?"

Sasuke looked up at him, whispering, "No, I'm fine…"

Sakura said, "Don't worry about it, Naruto. His lung was punctured, but it's mostly healed. He's just coughing up what blood was there from the original wound, but it'll clear up soon."

"Thank you, Sakura…" he said.

Sasuke relented and relaxed back into Naruto's arms.

Kakashi said, "We wouldn't have time for a detour anyways. We can't contact Jiraiya, and we need to head to a nearby village to rendezvous with him this evening. We can all catch some sleep before then. You can heal Sasuke's wounds, Sakura?"

Sakura said, "Yeah, sensei. It'll take a decent amount of chakra, but his wounds are already mostly healed. We should do it at the village while we wait for Jiraiya."

"I agree with Sakura," Yamato said.

Sasuke was starting to get heavy. It was nice to touch him, but Naruto was glad he would not be carrying him everywhere now.

Sai said, "I am very excited to meet this Lord Jiraiya."

"Don't set your hopes too high," Sakura said.

Naruto said, "Oh, you'll get more than you bargained for. Believe it."

With Sai forming his mouth to say another word, Kakashi intervened to say, "Just wait until we meet him. Let's go to the village before any Akatsuki agents come to investigate."

Naruto nodded. He was ready to go. He looked down at Sasuke and saw that Sasuke was staring at him. He looked very innocent and helpless being held like this despite acting tough, and it made him seem so much less haughty than his usual self-sufficient demeanor. He wanted to kiss him and say a lot of things about how worried he had been, but it was not the place yet. He almost got sick with himself for being so disgusting and romantic, too. He knew Sasuke would yell at him if he voiced the idea. The group of ninja walked away from the scarred battleground towards the rendezvous point, and Naruto felt a release from his anxiety with Sasuke alive in his arms.

Sasuke pulled on Naruto's shirt as they walked, and Naruto looked down to him. He was looking nowhere in particular and clearly deep in thought.

He whispered, "I won't let you fuck up like that again…"

Naruto nodded and smiled a little. He would not let Sasuke down, either.


	9. Interlude: My Path is Strewn With Roses

Interlude

Nagato never knew how he would be able to surpass the empowering feeling that Yahiko's hand around his gave him. It was peace in the sun-kissed world of their youth, and they were walking with Konan down a narrow road. Nagato stood between the two, Yahiko to his right. They were the Akatsuki, but they were not nearly as serious when they went out for walks and played like the young adults they were. The grass beneath their feet and the wind at their backs propelled them onward forever, and Yahiko turned to him and smiled.

_What did he say to me back then?_

"It's such a nice day out, Nagato. The sun's reflecting off your eyes so well…"

Konan said, "Hey, don't forget about me while you're over there staring at each other."

Yahiko waved his hand in the air as if to wipe away the suggestion of what she had said, adopting a sarcastic tone.

"Don't be ridiculous. I was just complimenting him. Don't I have the prerogative, being the _supreme _leader?"

Nagato made a grunt from inside his throat.

He said, "Don't get too full of yourself, Yahiko. You might just scare me off, and I couldn't bear to leave little lovesick you to save the world all by yourself."

Konan leaned forward and looked into Nagato's eyes. She smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, they do look pretty good."

Nagato shook his head and laughed a little bit. Yahiko was faking annoyance, but it was nevertheless a pretty adorable attempt. It was always fun to be out on a day off with Konan and Yahiko to blow off steam and joke around like they used to before starting the organization and always being too busy, and he and Yahiko had not had many chances to be flirtatious and open since they had decided that their relationship should remain hidden for the organization's sake.

"Thanks, Konan. You shouldn't look so aggravated, almighty leader. Do you even want me to kiss you later?"

Yahiko turned red, the change in complexion being brought out by his orange hair. Konan snickered and patted Nagato on the back.

"Good one. You flustered our supreme leader."

Yahiko rolled his head back and made nonsense sounds to drown out Konan's teasing. Nagato looked at Konan, and she finally stopped speaking with a slight smirk on her face. She and Yahiko kept him sane with all of the other things they had to worry about. When Nagato looked forward he broke out of his daydreaming and saw that they had reached the end of the path and all came to a stop. The cliff they stood upon looked out onto the sea that stretched on forever into the distance, and the sun setting behind them began to shadow the horizon and leave orange streaks across the sky over their heads.

Yahiko said, "Well, I should've invited you guys to come with me at sunrise instead, when the sun hits the ocean, but I couldn't wake up early if my life depended on it."

Yahiko looked at Nagato and his surefire expression softened. Konan pushed Nagato into Yahiko and nearly made them fall over.

"Oh, you two just go ahead and have your romantic moment so we can head back and talk without all the tension."

Nagato blushed from embarrassment. He felt bad when they excluded her, but she was always so generous to her two friends. He stood back up with Yahiko's help and put his hand on Yahiko's cheek, lightly stroking his soft face with his index finger. He leaned in for the kiss, but suddenly everything began to change. The cliff disappeared from beneath him and they all three started falling towards the churning waters below. He cried Yahiko and Konan's names, but they would not move or respond, and they all three crashed into the water.

Nagato did not feel the wetness he had expected. When he opened his eyes after waiting for a few moments he saw that he was standing in front of Hanzo the Salamander, wheezing in his rebreather and staring with his sharp eyes from behind goggles, in a large valley. Hanzo had bound Yahiko and Konan on either side of him and started yelling.

"Choose who you'll kill. Why won't you just choose?"

Nagato felt the weight of a kunai in his hand and now saw that he was suddenly in front of Yahiko, who was looking up at him with tears in his eyes.

He said, "You don't have to choose, Nagato. Goodbye."

Yahiko grabbed the kunai in his hand and rammed it into his chest, causing blood to ooze out and cover the ground as he fell forward. Nagato fell to his knees and tried to help him stand up, but Yahiko was barely breathing and not moving in response to him. Nagato shook him and started screaming. He could not be dead. Yahiko could not be dead.

His voice whispered, "You and Konan…you can't die…we have to save...you have to save the world…Nagato…I love y-…."

The rasp within his voice grew, and he coughed violently. When he settled in Nagato's arms Nagato knew certainly that he was dead. His Yahiko, the one person after Master Jiraiya who had believed in him was dead. He let out a yell that boomed across the canyon and stood up, preparing to use his forbidden jutsu, but when he looked up at Hanzo he saw that Hanzo was now doubled over against a wall in a pool of blood. They were now indoors and the world seemed to fade into a fuzzy whiteness in any direction he looked besides the gore-splattered corner

He felt his hands and held them up in front of him. They had been pierced with metal and his skin was cold. His rage disappeared and he felt a strange curiosity compel him to walk away from the dead Hanzo to a puddle of water that had formed nearby. At first he could not quite see his face in the reflection, but as he moved closer he gasped.

"Yahiko? Is that you?" he said.

He reached into the puddle, but his hand merely made a splash in the water. He let the water settle again in disbelief and looked more intently. He saw Yahiko, but his skin was drained of all color; many piercings were in his nose and around his face. He even had purple spirals covering his eyes.

_ The rinnegan?_

Nagato put his hand up to his face and felt it, moving over his skin and up to his hair. He had run his hand across it a million times before: this was Yahiko's face. He immediately felt the desire to cry and scream, but he could not make Yahiko's body speak. Finally he started grabbing the piercings and pulling them out. The body began to fail and he fell to the ground. The whiteness that was everywhere around him and Hanzo's dead body began to burn away in fire, and when it reached him he embraced its heat to burn away his body.

It made Nagato emerge from his dream and push his upper body up on his arms, looking around the room then down at himself to see if he was still dreaming. He was not in Yahiko's body anymore. The affirmation made him lie back down and begin to calm his breathing. Konan, who slept on the other side of the large room (they had shared a room since they were small), sat up in bed.

"Have you been having bad dreams again?" she said.

Nagato gulped in air and shook his head.

"It's always the same. The same pain keeps coming to me again and again."

Konan got out of bed and walked over to Nagato's bedside.

"I have pain too, Nagato. I haven't slept well since it happened. Don't worry, though, the world will still know our pain, like Yahiko said."

Nagato hated how much the metal chakra receivers jutting out of his back limited his movement. He could only turn his head to look at Konan.

"That is what he wanted, and we won't surrender his dream. I know that, Konan. It's my only conviction that we'll fulfill his dream, but I can't escape the nightmares and longing. Fuck, I miss him," he said.

A deep voice clearly projected into the room and seized Nagato's attention.

It said, "Come now, Pain. I have a mission for you if you want to take your mind off of this whole business."

Nagato assumed a stony demeanor and hid his feelings the best that he could.

He said, "What is it, Madara?"

Madara's orange mask shone in the near-darkness as he leaned into the doorway. His soft chuckle echoed off of the metal walls.

"Hidan and Kakuzu have failed rather spectacularly in their collection of the nine-tails jinchuuriki. I want you and Konan to go retrieve him for the organization."

Nagato grunted in assent, and Konan, who had also assumed a blank expression, voiced her agreement. Madara leaned back out of the door.

He said, "I'm so sorry to interrupt so late into the night. The target's name is Naruto Uzumaki, a ninja of Konoha. His master is the Toad Sage Jiraiya. Happy hunting, Nagato, I'll be leaving now."

His footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Nagato felt the breath leave his body.

_Master Jiraiya and a Leaf Village jinchuuriki?_

Konan put her hand on his head and ran it through his red hair slowly.

"Nagato," she said, "Don't worry too much about it now. You need to sleep."

Nagato grunted and let his head relax on the pillow. Konan stopped stroking his hair and walked back to her bed, the rustling of her sheets telling Nagato she was lying down again.

She said, "Good night."

Nagato thought for a long time in the darkness as she fell asleep. He would see Master Jiraiya and avenge himself on him. Indeed, he would avenge himself on the village that had killed his family so long ago and had helped betray him and his friends to Hanzo.

_You will know my pain. You will know Yahiko's pain._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Note to Readers: This point marks the end of my current revisions, so if there are any slight continuity changes or rough writing patches after this, understand them as things that will be corrected soon. Thank you for reading and your patience!<strong>  
><em>


	10. Chapter 10

X

Sasuke could not sleep very well on the narrow cot that he and Naruto had to share. They had been lying there for hours after reaching the small village where they would have to rendezvous with Jiraiya, and this was the only lodging that they could find, a small one-floor hotel. The wooden construction made it look like all of the other rickety buildings in the village. He had made himself content with shrinking back against the wall and letting Naruto fall asleep comfortably, as Naruto would have to help him walk when he woke up. It was enough to watch and feel the rhythms of breathing in and out come from Naruto's mouth to pass the time.

_True to form, he sleeps with his mouth open._

Sasuke was tempted to reach up and close Naruto's jaw, but it lent him a peaceful appearance. He saw Naruto's eyes flutter open, and the cot rattled as Naruto turned on his side, giving Sasuke room. Now those blue eyes were staring directly into his own, and Naruto was blinking and leaving his mouth open as if to speak. Sasuke raised his eyebrows and let out a small, questioning grunt.

Naruto said, "It's…something that I've had on my mind, but I had forgotten about it in all the excitement of the mission. What exactly was that letter you received about? You acted so happy after you got it, but I didn't want to pester you and make you annoyed with me. I was really happy just to finally have something with you. Believe it, but I need to know what it was."

Sasuke said, "Talk a little more quietly so you don't wake anyone up."

Naruto spoke more loudly, "I don't care. Don't dodge my question, just tell me."

Sasuke knew it would come to this, eventually. At least he now knew Itachi's letter was true. He had wondered if maybe it were some lie written to him by another to deceive him until he held his brother again in his arms.

Sasuke said, very quietly, "The letter was from Itachi. He told me the truth about what happened to my clan and told me to give up my revenge. He was protecting me in Konoha, and I even saw him the night of the Bon festival."

Naruto's eyes had opened wide. He hugged Sasuke.

He said, "Why did you go near him? He could have killed you, Sasuke. Why did you give up on killing him? He killed your family, didn't he?"

Sasuke lightly rested his arm around Naruto.

He said, "He did, but it wasn't something he decided on his own. My family was planning actions that would have started a war, and he followed the orders of his superiors in what he did. He spared me out of mercy, but he was ordered to kill me. You may have trouble believing me, and I had trouble too. I only felt free after I received the letter if freedom is pulling yourself out of the darkest hole you could fall into and teetering at the edge, wondering if you should have gotten out. Still, when he came to the Bon, he was nearly blind and dead. I knew then that it was at least partly true, because he would have never delivered himself to me in that state if he had lied to divert my revenge. The callous bastard he wore as a mask wouldn't have given me the chance."

Sasuke felt Naruto's hand press him closer to him. Naruto spoke more quietly, his voice trembling slightly.

He said, "I don't know if you should've believe him, but I'm glad your vengeance is going away. I didn't ever think it would."

Sasuke was silent. He had not wanted to discuss this with Naruto, and he stroked Naruto's back and closed his eyes.

"You are through with your revenge, aren't you?" Naruto said.

Sasuke whispered, "Itachi told me to leave that road, but I can't be at peace with him and my family having been betrayed. I need to find out who to blame and what exactly happened back then."

Naruto pushed away a little, and Sasuke felt Naruto's lips brush over his then kiss him for a few seconds. Sasuke's body relaxed, and he pushed back against him. It was a shame they were not at Naruto's apartment, because the kiss tempted Sasuke's more physical desire for Naruto. He smiled, eyes still shut, because Naruto was taking time to get his head straight like he always had to. When Naruto spoke his voice no longer shook.

"When I'm Hokage," Naruto said, "We'll find out what happened. You'll be my closest advisor, and we can right whatever was wrong, together. You don't have to go hunting by yourself anymore. Believe it."

Sasuke opened his eyes and looked at Naruto's cheek, taking care not to get caught in his eyes. Naruto always offered so much. Sasuke felt that even if he were Naruto's closest advisor in some dream world, though, he would have to do some of it on his own. Nevertheless, he would not hurt Naruto's feelings with cold words now.

He said, "I hope you can, idiot. I know you'll definitely be Hokage someday. Don't get too immersed in your duties, though. I won't talk to you if you're busy all the time and don't leave any time for me."

Naruto rolled his eyes, and Sasuke was preparing another snarky comment when footsteps from the other side of Naruto approached. Sasuke saw the grey hair of Kakashi above and heard the soft shutting of a book.

Kakashi said, "You two are having a nice time of it."

Naruto said, "Hey, Kaka Sensei, we're talking. Can you give us a minute?"

Kakashi said, "Don't be so testy. I was just coming by to say that Sakura, Sai, and I are going to visit the home of a well-known painter who lives here. If you and Sasuke want to come, you should hurry before we leave you here. Please don't take that as permission to have sex, because Yamato is still sleeping and won't be overjoyed to wake up to you two heaving and going at it."

His one eye winked at them and he chuckled.

Naruto said, "Don't tell me you've been spying on us, Kaka sensei!"

He stood up and shook his fist in Kakashi's face. Sasuke's interest grew. He had never had a chance to look at the work of a real artist before, but he had liked looking at photos of paintings in books when he was younger. Naruto was about to refuse the offer for both of them, or that's what it sounded like.

_He thinks he can answer for me just because I'm his boyfriend? _

Sasuke said, "Yeah, we'll go."

Naruto looked back at him and sighed.

He said, "Are you sure?"

Sasuke said, "They're just paintings. I don't see what you're so afraid of."

Naruto said, "Ok, we'll go."

Kakashi had opened Ichi-Ichi Paradise again as Naruto was fuming at him, and his eyes turned up towards Sasuke and Naruto for just a second as he mumbled.

He said, "You two come out when you're ready to go. We'll be waiting. Don't come too quickly, though, because this part is just getting good."

Sasuke sat up against the edge of the bed, and Naruto plopped down beside him. As Kakashi walked out of the room Sasuke put his hand over Naruto's. Naruto would cope, because it was just looking at paintings.

_Surely he's matured over the last three years about things like this._

* * *

><p>Sasuke held Naruto's hand as they walked into a square, wooden, and one-floor building that a smaller house adjoined. Sakura was walking next to them, and they had been talking on the way about nothing in particular. The woods surrounded the compound and separated it from the rest of the village save for a dirt trail that they had taken.<p>

Naruto said, "It's weird this guy lives out here, away from everyone else."

"If someone attacked him he wouldn't be able to get any help," Sasuke said.

Kakashi walked up to the door of the larger building and knocked. Sai, who had been talking to Kakashi, turned around with his usual, polite smile.

"Artists," he said, "enjoy work in isolation. This man also doesn't have anything to fear from interlopers, because he is Yakiko Yashimoto, the famous Leaf Ninja who developed the Super Beasts Imitation Picture jutsu. I spent a few years with him here, but I did not completely master the technique as he has. He is truly a great artist."

Sasuke was incredulous. It was ridiculous a Konoha ninja would be painting in the woods at a time of emergency for the village.

"Why doesn't he help the village if he's such a great master?" he said.

Naruto grunted in agreement and said, "Yeah, Sai. If he put in the time to train you and developed his technique, he has to know he's doing no good just sitting out here."

Sakura was looking off into the distance, and Sasuke could recognize this as her thinking.

She said, "When we were young he was very active and well respected. I think I remember that right, but I also remember he had to leave the village for some reason. My mother wouldn't tell me why."

Sai said, "He is a homosexual like Sasuke and Naruto. The Hokage wanted to keep him in the village but had to give in to pressure to exile him. He compromised by sending Yakiko to a village in the fire nation where he could live without being a rogue ninja."

Sasuke understood now. The taboo against homosexuality could bring down even a ninja of great stature. He remembered little of the man from his childhood, but the name had sounded familiar because of how often it was spoken in tones of admiration and respect. Now no one even said his name in Konoha.

Kakashi, who had knocked loudly and repeatedly, turned away from the door and shrugged his shoulders.

He said, "I really wanted you to get a chance to look at his art and meet him, but I guess he's out on errands. Let's head-"

The door burst open, and a man, sporting long, gray hair, a long beard and a green kimono, ran and grabbed Kakashi's shoulder. Sasuke saw that he was smiling broadly.

"You caught me during my naptime, Kakashi! Please, you and all of your friends come in. I haven't lately had any guests because of all of the Akatsuki missions keeping people busy. If any of you don't know my name, I am Yakiko Yashimoto," he said.

Kakashi turned around to him and laughed.

He said, "You sleep as hard as you always used to when we would go out on missions together. Thank you for your hospitality. I hope you don't mind letting my team see your paintings."

Yakiko said, "Not at all. I know there's nowhere to sit, but forgive a poor artist."

He looked at Sai and raised an eyebrow.

"Sai," he said, "You've grown up. I didn't recognize you at first. It's good to see you here again at the studio."

Sai said, "I have improved considerably in my technique, sensei. I should tell you about it."

Yakiko, Sai and Kakashi walked inside, chatting. Sasuke wanted to talk to Yakiko about homosexuality, but he did not want to impinge much more on the man's generosity. He wanted at least to see the paintings of a man who Sai claimed to be a great artist, and he had seen Sai's own, very impressive art during the last few weeks. When he walked in with Naruto and Sakura he expected something eccentric, but to his chagrin the room was very plain. The whole wooden structure had no walls and only one window on each side that let in light to supplement the light bulbs strewn across the ceiling. The wooden floors creaked whenever you walked on them, and canvases hung at varying distances on the walls.

Naruto said, "This place is really empty, Mr. Yashimoto. Why don't you put some furniture in it or a smaller gallery?"

Yakiko said, "Well, I didn't choose this place to live in the first place."

He paused as he walked to a painting in progress in the center of the room and threw a cloth over it.

"Secondly, I do enjoy the open space to work with. It allowed me to train Sai here and earn my right to stay in this country," he said.

Sasuke said, "Earn your right? Did the Hokage not grant you this place?"

Yakiko's face lost its smile, and he stopped the incessant motion that had been going on since he had met them. Sasuke immediately regretted that he had asked the question, but Kakashi spoke, his voice the only noise in the silence.

He said, "Yakiko trained Sai for Danzo so that his jutsu could be used by the Foundation."

Sai smiled and said, "However, Yakiko sensei, I was the only one who could learn your art, and I couldn't train any younger members of the Foundation in the use of it. Your art is still safe."

Yakiko nodded and made a slight smile.

He said, "Yes, I am glad to hear that. Let's not dwell on such sad things, though. You may all look at my art. In fact, please take a look."

Kakashi put his hand on Yahiko's shoulder and spoke softly. Sai went over to talk to them again. Sasuke, relieved, pulled on Naruto's arm and took them to the nearest painting with Sakura following. It was a large canvas that illustrated a sunset over the ocean with broad smears of colors, varying from dark blue all the way to yellow. Sasuke thought it was quite beautiful.

Sakura said, "It's quite nice. I like how he doesn't paint an exact scene, but uses all of the broad, beautiful colors to convey the image."

Sasuke said, "I saw art like this in a picture book when I was younger. I think it was called…impressionistic. We were friends back then, did you look at it, Naruto?"

Naruto said, "Uh…I can't remember exactly what any of them were called. I just remember there were paintings like this. It is really neat.."

Naruto jabbed Sasuke with his elbow and leaned over to whisper. Sasuke heard Sakura walk off towards the next painting.

"Hey," he said, "we should go talk to that Yakiko guy about us. He might be happy to see that he's not alone in his problem, because I can tell being alone out here really gets to him. Even his smiles were mostly fake."

Sasuke really wanted to keep looking at the paintings. Of course, he wanted to talk to Yakiko, but only in a minute.

He said, "Be patient, idiot. We need to look at a few more of his paintings or he'll feel insulted."

Naruto blew a puff of air and said, "Ok, your majesty. We can look at a few more."

Sasuke said, "Oh, don't act so flustered. I might try my hand at something like this when we're older and settled down. You'll have to look at it one way or another, so get some practice."

"Only if you eat ramen with me every day," Naruto said.

They walked to the next painting. Sasuke found the prospect grueling.

Sasuke said, "I'll consider it. Let's just try not to eat Ichiriku every day, there's more than one restaurant in Konoha."

Naruto said, "Hey, but that's the best! Don't even try to compare it to ramen from the other places."

The painting grabbed Sasuke's attention away from Naruto. It showed a man in a boat on the open sea, and the sea was very detailed in how the foam and blue and green waves crashed against the ship. Despite all of this chaos, the boat and sailor were painted very indefinitely like the painting of the sunset.

"Hey, are you going to say anything, Sasuke?" he said.

Sasuke said, "In a minute. Look at this painting and help me understand what it means. I remember reading in that picture book that artists like to put meanings into what they make."

Naruto said, "All I can see is- "

Yakiko cut in, walking next to them and also looking up at the painting.

He said, "The man in the boat is me. I was cast about and unsure of myself, so I left the figure undefined. The sea is all of my troubles, cast in absolutes and supported by the structure around me. It's not a very clever metaphor, but it helped me work out my demons."

Sasuke thought it was very clever, and the execution had such artistry. He always felt he had trouble expressing himself well with words. He now realized he could communicate in another way if he learned to do this, and maybe he could finally work out his demons and inner feelings.

Naruto said, "What demons did you have, Mr. Yashimoto?"

Yakiko said, "The same demons pursuing you two, though you were the more fortunate. It makes me happy to see two young lovers not having to hide."

Sasuke said, "Do you know many like us?"

Yakiko shook his head and was staring into his painting. Sasuke saw his eyes were a startling ice blue, and they seemed to lose themselves in the turbulent waves.

"There are many all across the ninja world," he said, "Very few have luck like you two, though. Even someone like me, who everyone liked, had to live out here once I was found out. It was with some boy I barely knew, too, and I had met him in passing while on a day off from missions."

He turned to them and laughed.

"Don't get too sad from an old man's stories, though. You two can do some good for all of us if you make it through life in favor with your village. In fact, I'm very happy for you. You, you're Sasuke Uchiha, aren't you?" he said.

Sasuke said, "I am."

Yakiko said, "You're such a serious boy, but so are all of you Uchihas. I can tell you're interested in the painting, and I encourage you to learn it just as a pastime if you can some day. Sai could even give you some lessons after learning from the old master himself."

He winked at them. Kakashi called out from across the gallery.

"Hey, Naruto and Sasuke! We have to go meet Jiraiya in the village center. We'll go ahead and meet you there. So long, Yakiko. I'll visit again when I'm near."

Sai's said, "I'll also see you again, sensei. Thank you for your hospitality."

Sakura said, "Thank you, Mr. Yashimoto."

Their footsteps clattered out, and Sasuke let his mouth hang open for a second as he thought. He would like to learn to paint when he could, he decided. He wanted to produce things of beauty such as these, and he could share them with Naruto.

Yakiko said, "I'm very sorry to keep you two behind with my idle talk. Thank you for your visit and good luck in your mission. Don't worry about shutting the door, I'll get it."

Naruto said, "Thank you very much, Mr. Yashimoto. Someday I'll be the Hokage and let you come back to the village. Believe it. I'll do something for all ninja like us."

Sasuke said very quietly, "Thank you, sir."

Yakiko fell back into his dreamy stare and looked back at his painting. He smiled slightly.

"Oh, will you now?" he said.

Sasuke knew that Yakiko probably wanted to be alone. He tugged at Naruto's hand and they left the home. He looked back and saw that the door was left open, the owner of the home gone out to a stormy sea, far away.


	11. Chapter 11

XI

Naruto and the others had been waiting beyond the designated time for Jiraiya to arrive at the village square. The sun had begun to hang low on the horizon and cast long shadows off of the wooden houses and people. Naruto realized they had in fact waited many hours beyond the designated time, and he grabbed Sasuke's hand a little more tightly than he should have. Sasuke put his hand on top of their intertwined hands.

He said, "Don't get so upset, Naruto. Jiraiya can take care of himself."

Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai were all standing around and saying nothing. Naruto wanted to believe Sasuke, but it was not Jiraiya's way to be late to his meetings. The wind shifted so that it was blowing in their faces.

Kakashi said, "Don't worry, Naruto. His scent is on the wind, and I know it's his. Only Jiraiya smells that much like brothels mixed in with hot springs."

Naruto relaxed and laughed.

He said, "The Pervy Sage is going to have a lot of explaining to do when he gets here."

Jiraiya came running down the path from the distance, looking back over his shoulder. When he reached them he came to a stop, bent over and breathing heavily.

He said, "I'm sorry for my late arrival. I'm being pursued by a team of five Akatsuki and had to get away. I don't have time to talk. Naruto and Sasuke, come with me."

Sakura said, "Can we distract them for you Lord Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya shook his head and said, "No. Kakashi, take the other team members back to Konoha, because this team will kill you if you stand in their way. Let's go, Naruto and Sasuke."

Naruto said, "Hey, we shouldn't run. Let's fight them and find out what they're made of."

Sasuke pulled on his arm and said, "Naruto, if Jiraiya couldn't handle them then we can't either. Let's follow him."

Jiraiya said, "Yes, once they lose our trail we can strategize. I'm sorry I'm not giving you much time for goodbye, but let's go."

Naruto did not want to run away, but he nodded after a moment of thought. He and Sasuke ran after Jiraiya, who was now headed down another forest path, and they jumped up into the trees so they could propel themselves forward faster. Naruto was glad Sasuke had been healed by Sakura and could travel with them.

Naruto yelled, "Pervy Sage, there are only nine Akatsuki and we've killed four, why are all five coming after you?"

Jiraiya did not speak for a moment.

He said, "I'm not sure exactly what they are, but I don't think these five are all members or even human. They are all men that I have met before, but they have changed. Their powers are extremely effective along with their teamwork. We need to discover their true nature before we begin any attack. I could only handle three of them."

It made Naruto want to fight these men to understand what Jiraiya had fought against, because if Jiraiya spoke of a group of ninja like this then he and Sasuke had no hope against them.

"Well," Sasuke said, "If we can use teamwork to launch probing attacks against individuals, it could be an effective means to test them and their powers before we begin a battle with their team."

Jiraiya grunted his assent.

He said, "First we have to lie low for awhile so I can start training you two. There is a resort town nearby that will give us a place to relax and research the enemy."

Naruto wanted to roll his eyes. Sasuke had not gone along with Jiraiya on other trips, but he would soon find out what his definition of "research" was. He had vast and hazy memories of all of the places they had stayed during their three years of wandering and all of the nights Jiraiya had come back to their lodging smelling like alcohol and sweat. Sasuke would make the difference, and he would not spend half of his time alone on these adventures anymore. They could explore the wider world together, and Jiraiya would devote time to training the both of them while they were away from Konoha. Now he could stop training to save Sasuke. In fact, he could train _with_ Sasuke to save their home. It made Naruto feel better every time he thought about it.

Sasuke said, "Are you planning to train us while we hide and investigate, Lord Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya said, "Huh? Oh, yes, of course. Once I've gauged your and Naruto's progress we can start on some training."

Naruto knew that for a few days when they hit each town Jiraiya would be totally lost in revels before he began the training in depth. He could not resist saying something to poke fun at him.

"More like you'll leave us with a bag of balloons trying to figure out the technique ourselves while you go out on the town," Naruto said.

Jiraiya laughed and said, "Hey, I need to conduct some investigation. Don't be too rough on me, because I've been on the run without relaxation for most of today. It took all of my skill to get away from them."

Naruto snorted. He would not hold it against the old man. He wanted a few days to unwind too before he set out to defeat the Akatsuki. A decent-sized spa town would be a perfect place to show Sasuke some new experiences, because Sasuke could not have been out much during the last three years.

"Will we be safe in this town?" Sasuke said.

Jiraiya looked back and raised an eyebrow.

He said, "It's not a ninja village under constant threat of attack. Don't worry, the Akatsuki won't enter a large, civilian town and make themselves more enemies than they have to. You two will have plenty of time to…enjoy each other. Just don't leave the hotel room's blinds open when you do."

Sasuke blushed but kept a composed face. Naruto wanted to tickle him and lighten his mood. Sasuke acted levelheaded and intelligent about combat and ninja missions, but he did not know what to do outside of combat. Naruto relished the thought that he would be the one cool and in charge for once. It was going to be a fun few days.

* * *

><p>Naruto, Sasuke, and Jiraiya set down what little they had brought next to their individual cots by electric light; it was late in the evening. The hotel room they were staying in had the thin, sliding walls that most buildings in the fire nation had, and faded paintings of cherry blossoms covered the light-brown panels. On the wooden floor their three sets of white and blue sheets and pads to lie on with pillows lay parallel to the door and another sliding, thin door with a window in it that led out to a balcony; Sasuke thought it was quaint, but staying on the eighth floor alarmed him. He had never slept this high off of the ground before, but he would not let Naruto know that it bothered him.<p>

Naruto stretched his arms up and yawned, falling onto his cot.

He said, "We were running for hours. I'm so tired."

Sasuke agreed. His body hurt quite a bit, but he was curious about this town they had arrived in.

He said, "Lord Jiraiya, what is the name of this town?"

Jiraiya, who had been rifling through his wallet, stopped and looked up at Sasuke.

"This is…" he said, "Oh, yes, I remember. This town is called Inazawa. It's a very famous town for spas and gambling in the Fire Nation, and ninja affairs trouble it very little. I've stayed here with Naruto before."

"We stayed in spa towns half of the time I was training with you, Pervy Sage. I can't even remember what half of them are called," he said.

Jiraiya said, "Hey, don't get all uppity. These places are good for collecting information about what's going on because they attract so many different people. I've told you a million times."

Naruto sighed and rolled over. Sasuke sat down on the floor next to Naruto's cot, leaning back on his arms with his legs stretched out. Jiraiya looked at them and smiled a little, and he threw them some money out of his purse that clinked and clattered in front of Sasuke. Sasuke picked it up and looked at it, confused.

"You and Naruto," Jiraiya said, "Should go out a little in Inazawa and have some fun. I'll be investigating, so I won't see you two until tomorrow, more than likely. Be good."

He winked and opened the sliding door, walking out without a word and gently closing it behind him. Sasuke ran over the paper and coin in his hands. He did not know what do with this, really, and Naruto was so tired he was probably already asleep. He looked at Naruto to check, and Naruto staring back at him with a smirk and glimmer in his eye surprised him.

"You've never been out in a real town having fun, have you?" he said.

Sasuke said, "No, just on missions with you and for…well, no. What, do you want to go do something?"

Naruto nodded.

"You need to experience life as a normal person, just out on a town enjoying yourself. It's really fun; believe it. Let's go," he said.

Naruto stood up using Sasuke's shoulder as a support. Sasuke pulled himself up with Naruto's hand, and they both stood there for a moment, holding hands. Sasuke felt nervous about this, he had to admit to himself. His life had always been based on conflict and performing missions; he did not know what to expect. Naruto turned his head to look into Sasuke's downcast eyes.

"Don't worry about it. It's just a little fun, and I'll be there with you. We can get you some new clothes that aren't cut to pieces and maybe even some painting supplies if the art store is open. I know I'm at least going to some ramen," he said.

Sasuke tisked and said, "You think I'm worried or afraid, idiot? I'm not afraid, so let's go."

Naruto let go of Sasuke's hand and walked to the door, opening it and flicking off the light switch. In the dark, lit up by the lights of the city through the window, Sasuke had a moment of breathless hesitation, and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He walked after Naruto out of the room.

Naruto said, "I've been so hungry ever since the battle. We should go get food first."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," he said, "Because stuffing your face takes precedent over me finding clothes that aren't torn to shreds."

Naruto poked Sasuke in the stomach as he closed the door, making Sasuke laugh a little.

He said, "Fine, we can go get you some new clothes, your highness, but I get to pick the clothes. This is the only complaint you get tonight, though, or I'll tickle you senseless when we get back."

Sasuke did not find Naruto picking his clothes an intrinsically bad thought anymore, but he was feeling competitive since he was not crippled in a wheel chair. He knew what he wanted to wear, and he had a few plans of his own to make.

"On condition we don't eat at a noodle stand, idiot, I might let you choose my clothes. There are plenty of places that serve ramen with a more diverse menu," he said.

Naruto sighed and said, "You drive a hard bargain, _idiot_, but we'll just have to see. Let's go. Don't worry about not holdings hands or anything like that, in places like this they don't care about it very much," he said.

He grabbed Sasuke's hand and started to pull him down the hall.

Sasuke said, walking forward so he was side by side with Naruto, "What do you mean they don't care very much?"

Naruto said, "You'll see what I mean."

When they reached the end of the hallway Naruto pulled open the creaky door that led into the stairwell. They walked down the damp and grey flights of concrete steps without talking. Sasuke's black hair, fair skin, and clenched jaw contrasted with the wide, blue, and open eyes, bright, blond hair, and relaxed features of Naruto in ways that Sasuke himself could barely understand. How could someone be so carefree and at peace with the world? Sasuke took care with his steps and ran his thumb over Naruto's hand as he thought. He had not been able to relax his suspicion and habitual coldness despite being mostly free from his burdens, even though Naruto had helped him a lot. What could he do when Naruto was not around, though?

_Why are you thinking about that? He's right here with you and trying to bring you to a normal, happy life. He loves you._

They came to a stop before the door and Naruto turned to Sasuke. He pointed his index finger at Sasuke's heart and poked softly against the tattered, white shirt, and he closed his eyes and smiled, stretching the whisker marks on his face.

"I can tell you're bothered about something. Don't be," he said.

Sasuke laid his hand on Naruto's outstretched arm with a light touch.

He said, "I'm not bothered about anything."

Naruto pressed his finger against Sasuke's chest with more force and shook his head.

"I can feel it," he said, "I'm in there too with all of those feelings. Don't just carry around everything in you like a water balloon about to pop; I know how that feels. I felt like that until I made friends and got to be with you, and I don't want you to feel like you're alone. There are other people that care about you alongside me back in Konoha, so don't forget about us. You're not alone," he said.

Naruto let his arm fall from Sasuke's chest and looked into his onyx eyes. Sasuke's mouth was open and he was trying to search for words. Naruto would not let him finish.

"So let's go have some fun, Mr. Serious," he said, now showing his teeth in his smile as he opened the door and pulled Sasuke out with him into the city lights and smells.


	12. Chapter 12

XII

Brilliant neon signs shining out into the night hung over the doorways of all the multi-story, concrete buildings which held shops selling everything from street food to the cutting edge of fashion on their bottom floors. The smell of food and open window restaurants mixed with the smell of recent rain and the aroma of garbage, and people filled the unpaved street, stopping at this or that street vendor, talking, or going into the bewildering variety of shops. Sasuke could not take in all of the bound-up energy, for he had seen nothing like it.

_Well, maybe I have, but I've never looked at it before and just enjoyed it._

Naruto pulled Sasuke's hand and began to walk across the street from the hotel. Sasuke acquiesced, and he saw that they were headed to a clothing store, its name, Attire, traced in purple light in the large display window, and he would have inquired of Naruto their purpose in going there but for one thing. As his and Naruto's feet kicked up the dust below them, no one was staring at them. Well, that is to say except for the occasional raised eyebrow at Sasuke that he assumed was directed at his clothes, but all the same no one seemed to mind that they were two guys together. They reached the glass door of Attire, and Naruto pulled it open, small bells tied around the handle tinkling.

He said without looking back, "What's wrong, Sasuke? You aren't talking."

Sasuke followed him. A clerk was to their left, leaning on the checkout counter and reading a book with his eyes half shut. He was bald and had a pair of black glasses on. The walls and ceiling were white, and fluorescent lights lit the rectangular room filled with racks of clothing.

Sasuke said, "It's nothing wrong. I'm just surprised, because no one is staring at us like in Konoha."

They walked down a center aisle that divided the women's clothes from the men's clothes, and Naruto turned his head to Sasuke and smirked.

"I told you," he said, "They don't care about that here. I was more embarrassed by your torn up clothes than anything, so it's a good idea that we're shopping first."

"_You're welcome_," said Sasuke.

Naruto began rifling through hanging racks on the women's side of the store, apparently oblivious to the snark.

"Thank you," he said.

Sasuke let go of Naruto's hand and took a closer look at what Naruto was rifling through. The rack was full of dresses with light colors and pastels for the summer.

Sasuke said, "Why are you looking through dresses?"

Naruto chuckled and pulled out a dress on a hangar; Sasuke did not like where this was going.

"We're not going to buy one," Naruto said, "but we should try some on just for fun."

Sasuke had thought he could tolerate whatever Naruto might throw at him, (as far as fashion went, anyway). This opposed everything Sasuke thought about himself, and he was not about to mess with that for the amusement of wearing a dress.

"You're such an idiot, Naruto. We _will not_ put on dresses," he said.

Naruto grabbed a dress that was the same color of orange that he loved to wear. He held it up and beamed at it.

He said, "Fine, then I will. You can tell me what you think."

Naruto turned and ran for one of the dressing rooms open at the back of the store, slamming the door shut behind him. Sasuke wearily walked over to the racks on the men's side and started pushing through the large selection, and he realized he did not know what his tastes in clothes were. He had worn the same kind of clothes for much of his life without giving it much thought besides utility, but now he could choose. He knew he liked color, so he stayed away from the kind of pure white and black clothes he had worn before. He slowly went through all of the racks until he found a few things together that appealed to his aesthetic sense while still being practical, and the clothes on display were not very practical for the most part. He took a sky blue jacket, a white shirt with a thin, dark blue stripe across the chest, and a pair of dark green, capris-length pants and folded them under his arm. A finger poked him in the back.

A woman's voice said, "What do you think, Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned his head back a little and saw Naruto had used his sexy jutsu and put on the dress. Sasuke sighed and let his head hang. He turned towards Naruto.

He said, "Change back to your normal form, and I might like it."

A poof of smoke surrounded Naruto, and he now stood in front of Sasuke in the tightly fitting dress. He tisked and punched Sasuke's shoulder lightly.

"You could've at least laughed; believe it. Now I'm stuck in this uncomfortable thing," he said.

Sasuke stared at Naruto's body, set in sharp relief. His toned muscles showed, and the tight waist emphasized Naruto's slim figure. Naruto's hand grabbed his chin and pushed his face up so he was looking into Naruto's eyes. Then Naruto was grinning and put his arms over Sasuke's shoulders. Sasuke could barely think at all.

Naruto said, "Hey, pervert, keep your eyes up here."

Sasuke said, "Uh…"

Naruto let go.

He said, "You've got the Pervy Sage's money, so go check out. I'll change back into my normal clothes so you won't be staring at me like that all night. It's kind of embarrassing."

Sasuke nodded and shakily began to walk towards the front counter. He had seen Naruto without any clothes on, but seeing his body clothed tightly was still something that affected him more than he thought it would. He threw his selection of clothes on the counter, making the clerk who was lying on top of his open book and snoring sit up and open his eyes wide. He shook his head then slowly focused his gaze on the presence of Sasuke and the clothes.

He said, "Hey, cool it, asshole. I was taking a nap. A gentle shake would've been enough."

Sasuke said, "Uh…could I buy these clothes?"

The clerk said, "Well, I'm sorry to you too. It's a three for one sale on all male items right now, so…"

Sasuke did not want to bother with this man anymore, so he just drew out a large bill and handed it over. The clerk raised his hands in exasperation then punched out the amount in the register, and the drawer popped open. He threw the change on the counter and opened his novel again after he tossed the bill into the cash drawer and shoved it shut. Sasuke felt a different kind of heat rise up in him that he was more accustomed to, irritation. He was about to reprimand the clerk when Naruto walked up to the counter, hands in the pockets of his normal clothes. He was frowning slightly

He said, "Let's go get something to eat."

Sasuke picked up his stuff and barely resisted the urge to mumble something rude or threaten the clerk. He walked out ahead of Naruto, and the bells tinkling told him that Naruto was outside too. He realized he did not want to turn and find out why Naruto was frowning. Naruto walked next to him, and Sasuke heard him take a deep breath in and release it.

He said, "You need to be a little more tactful. If you had said anything else we might've gotten into a fight."

"How do you know that?" Sasuke said.

Sasuke felt Naruto's hand settled on his shoulder.

"He was pretty angry," he said, "You were pretty rude to him, too."

Sasuke did not understand what he had done wrong. He had just tried to buy some clothes. The man had gotten angry with him in the first place.

Naruto said, "You've been doing nothing but train to fight for three years, so I guess I'm not surprised. Just try to smile next time you're around someone like that so you don't get them angry at you."

Sasuke looked out at the large and varied crowd that was passing by. It was all very beautiful in its own way, the varied collage of color and people. He wished he could create it himself. The pleasure of the thought diminished his frustration.

"I'll try to be nicer to people I don't know, then. I'll smile more often. Satisfied?" he said, smirking.

Naruto shook him a little bit then poked him in the side, eliciting a snort of laughter from Sasuke.

"You're so difficult; believe it. Just do something more than smirk at them like you're superior. I'll even make you laugh if I have to," he said.

Naruto put his hand on his own stomach, rubbing it, and with his other grabbed Sasuke's hand.

"Now let's go eat. I'm starving. You can change in the bathroom or something, since we won't be eating on the street because of how picky you are," he said.

Sasuke was a little hungry himself.

"Let's go. Just don't eat too much. I want to be able to afford to buy some paint supplies," he said.

They began walking down the muddy pathways of the street holding hands, weaving their way through the throngs.

Naruto said, "Hey, you're the one who wants to eat fancy. I just like a lot of cheap food."

Sasuke did not give him the benefit of an answer. Something more important was on his mind.

"The city is really beautiful, isn't it?" he said.

Naruto, having apologized to someone he bumped into, said, "I guess you could say so. I wish it smelled better, but all of the lights look neat. I don't much like all of the people, though."

"Why?" Sasuke said.

"It's just too easy to be lost in it. It's nice that people are more tolerant here, but I don't like how nameless people are. It's not like back in Konoha where everyone knows everyone pretty well," he said.

Sasuke knew this was true, but he had something else to say.

"I don't like that," he said, "In Konoha everyone knows you and there's always pressure on you. Here you can be what you want and no one bother you for it. It's relaxing."

Naruto said, "Why would you want to be unknown? I hated not knowing people when I was younger and felt awful."

Sasuke had to think for a moment to rephrase the thought. He had to push aside a man, in perfectly normal clothes and well-groomed, asking for change and trying to pester them until they would give him some.

"You don't have to be alone, idiot," he said, "I meant that you don't have to have the pressure of everyone's expectations of you following you around. Of course you can have friends and be successful, but you can be at peace too."

"Hey, you can be at peace in Konoha too. Everyone cares about you and wants to help you," he said.

"That's true," said Sasuke, "but we don't really have peace like this. In Konoha everyone has to fight or support those who fight, and we don't do what we want. You were born with a demon inside of you, and I was born to the Uchiha clan. We never had a choice to live at peace or constantly be under everyone's eye. We only lived peacefully in Konoha because the Hokage kept us there and protected us. Here and places like this, I think people can choose. I don't want to give up the people who live in Konoha, but I do envy these people and the choices they have."

Naruto took his turn to shove aside the man who would not go away and who had apparently decided that Naruto, of all people, would be an easier target. He finally disappeared into the crowd and went after another group.

"When I'm Hokage I'll put an end to all of that. I'll make it a place people are at peace, because we ninja do a lot of things that aren't violent. We could help people and teach everyone after us to be less close-minded. I think that would make it a good place for children and everybody else," he said.

Sasuke clenched his jaw and let the thought bounce around in his head and settle. He had never thought of children in his life that he could teach, and he realized that he could mentor to a younger generation and possibly even raise a child. He and Naruto could raise a child together, even. In twenty years when they were getting older and Sasuke was at peace because he knew what had happened to his family they could raise a child.

"Hey, you going to say anything back?" Naruto said.

Sasuke said, "When you're Hokage I hope you can change it. I hope we can give everyone there a choice and a peaceful life that we couldn't have. Maybe we could even raise a kid of our own, one of the orphans."

"A kid?" Naruto said, his face dissolving from his usual mirth into a slightly tense expression.

His blue eyes found Sasuke's as they stopped in the middle of the road, and Sasuke examined his face for a moment, wondering what was hiding behind that open and electric visage. Sasuke felt Naruto's grip tighten around his hand and saw his lips begin to form words when his stomach growled loudly.

_I've just lost him._

"Yeah, It will be a good place for everyone. Believe it. We've been talking so much. Let's eat!" he said.

Naruto began walking towards what looked like a decent restaurant Sasuke had seen from far off, or it was decent based on the smells coming out from the completely open front. It advertised stir-fried food, soups, noodle dishes, and sushi. Sasuke knew he would not be able to bring their earlier conversation up until Naruto had eaten his fill. He followed patiently, keeping his thoughts to himself.

* * *

><p>Sasuke took the change from the owner of the art shop, and the paper bags holding the paint and brushes rattled around when he picked them up to leave. Sasuke made the corners of his mouth turn up into a small, tight smile.<p>

"Thank you," he said.

The clerk smiled without looking.

"You're welcome," he said.

Sasuke pushed through the revolving and emerged into the warm night looking out over the river. This paint shop and a row of other buildings lined the river that he and Naruto had found on the south side of Inazawa after dinner. He crossed the small road between the riverbank and the shop and started walking to the wooden bridge that crossed the narrow, running water, and he knew Naruto would be waiting for him on it. The grassy bank along which he walked awoke a sharp pinprick of memory. At a place like this a long time ago he had won his father's approval by mastering his family's signature technique, and it was a place just as beautiful. He wished he could record the memory in a permanent way like he remembered it now, so vividly, before years passed and it faded away like so many tears in the rain, and the thought, the fading memory of his spring years with his family, haunted him even as he reached the bridge. He would create a memorial to them, however they had died. Now he had the tools to create the memories if he wanted, bouncing around and clinking in a paper bag, unassuming yet powerful, and he would use them. He would paint his memories and bring out their beauty. When he reached the center of the bridge, arched over the waters, he saw that at the other end the forest began and there was not a house to be seen; Naruto turned to him against this vast backdrop, drawing his hands out of his pockets and smiling a weak, tired smile.

"Did you get what you needed, Sasuke?" he said.

"I got enough to start," Sasuke said, "You would be proud of me."

Naruto said, "Why?"

He hugged Sasuke and rested his head on his shoulder, suppressing a yawn. Sasuke could imagine Naruto's eyes shutting and could feel Naruto's warmth and regular breath against his neck.

"I smiled at the cashier and said thank you. He didn't say much back, but at least he wasn't angry at me," he said, "What's wrong, is our big hero Naruto tired?"

"Only a little," Naruto said, "I just ate too much. Believe it."

"You always eat too much, and that never slows you down. Let's head back to the hotel and get some sleep. It must be two in the morning," Sasuke said.

Naruto shook his head against Sasuke's shoulder slowly. They leaned against the wooden rail that went down the length of the bridge, and the half moon illuminated everything in a light glow. The sounds of Inazawa still carried on in the distance.

"Not yet…I need to say something," he said.

"Hm?" Sasuke said.

"You talked about raising an orphan earlier. I think we should; someone as calm and intelligent as you could teach the kid a lot, and I would enjoy being with you always, helping. When I'm Hokage…I always say that, and I mean it. When I'm Hokage I'll bring peace. We won't have to fight anyone anymore, and we can be old and have a family. We won't die like the Third Hokage or our parents. We'll die at peace with each other when we're old and grey, and we'll fight for the right not to fight and to live good lives," he said.

Sasuke felt warm tears begin to form around his now closed eyelids. He kissed Naruto's cheek and rocked him back and forth slowly with small motions that were barely motions and followed the rhythm of his heartbeat.

"That would be beautiful, you idiot. You always have the right words for everything," he said.

Naruto lifted his head up and looked at Sasuke. He smiled with an even more tired smile than when Sasuke had approached him.

"Thanks," he said, "Thank you so much. I love you."

Sasuke let their embrace dissolve and stepped back, holding his hand out to Naruto. He wiped his face with the other hand.

"I love you too. Let's head back."

Naruto nodded and grabbed his hand loosely, and they began to walk back towards the city noises, smells and lights, leaving the dark woods and moonlit bridge behind.


	13. Interlude: The Stuff of Dreams

**To My Readers: Here's a short piece to give Jiraiya some more depth. I'll be working on the next chapter to finish it this weekend. Sorry I've been writing slowly, school has been tough! Thank you all so much for reading!**

Interlude

The morning light exacerbated Jiraiya's headache, and he rolled over to escape it. He still was experiencing the faintest vestiges of a dream that he was sinking in and out of. He saw images of Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko float by and smile at him. They would speak and reach out to him, and he would hold his hand out. Then the images would dissolve and change, submerged into the oceanic depths of subconscious. He wanted so much to see them and teach them again.

_Come back, Nagato. What are you hiding from? It's just me._

Nagato, a child like when Jiraiya had first met him, formed in the darkness and looked up with his hair hanging over his eyes. Jiraiya reached down to push it out of the way. The two rinnegan stared up into Jiraiya's eyes when he had swept aside the red hair, and Jiraiya smiled at Nagato. He wanted to see Nagato smile. Nagato slowly smiled.

_It's good to see you._

Nagato nodded to him. Yahiko and Konan appeared on either side of Nagato, and they, all still children, smiled up at him. Jiraiya was going to say more when a loud snore made him bolt upright in his cot. He looked next to him for the origin of the sound and saw that it was Naruto. Naruto and Sasuke, shirtless and wrapped in disheveled sheets, were spooning, with Sasuke reaching his arms around Naruto, and Naruto was snoring lightly.

_He must have just been trying to clear his throat._

Jiraiya fell back down onto his cot and laughed, bringing his hands up to rub his temples. Perhaps he did not have to be so nostalgic anymore. These two, Sasuke and Naruto, reminded him of Yahiko and Nagato, in the way Naruto was so active while Sasuke so reserved. The spirit of his former students lived on in its own way. He opened his eyes barely and looked at Naruto and Sasuke. They were still facing him, lying in the same position, and he could see their faces. Naruto was smiling ever so slightly and breathing roughly, his hair free of the usual headband, and Sasuke's face was half obscured behind Naruto's neck and his hair falling over it. Nevertheless, Jiraiya could see his serene, relaxed expression and hear his soft breathing. He had not seen the Uchiha boy like that ever before.

_Naruto must be doing something right._

He winced and let out a sharp puff of air from a jolt of pain in his head.

_I'm definitely not going out again tonight. My head hasn't hurt his bad in years._

He let the pain subside into a dull ache and looked up towards the ceiling, letting his eyes wander over the wood panels. Naruto and Sasuke reminded him of his old pupils so much, and he had such a bad headache that going out tonight, even just to a brothel, was out of the question.

_If I have to forsake a night going out on the town I might as well get started with their training instead of putting it off a few days. _

Jiraiya nodded slightly and shut his eyelids. He would start teaching them today, but first he had to sleep this awful headache off. He first saw the darkness and tried to ignore the dull pain, but slowly the images of his students returned and the pain faded. He reached out for them again and again until all was the darkness of deep sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

XIV

_This is the worst shower I've ever used. Pervy Sage, you cheap bastard._

Naruto moved his body to the side to avoid the stream of hot water giving off white clouds of steam that came from the showerhead and tried to adjust the knob. He had moved the dial a small distance to warm up the water, and the water heater decided that meant to scald him alive. He did not let his body touch the sides of the shower, which was one of several shower stalls that were separated from the main room of the bathroom by cheap, fish-print curtains, because grime and a strange yellow color covered the cracking tiles.

_If I can't stand this then Sasuke probably won't even try to take a shower._

The water returned to a lukewarm temperature and Naruto relaxed into the stream. He rubbed his body, but he did not use soap. Being a ninja taught Naruto that it was not worth getting too clean, because you would get disgusting again before long. He enjoyed the refreshing feeling of the water in the morning to help wake up, but he never bothered with soap. He put his head under the showerhead and let water flow through his hair, and he ran his fingers through it to make sure it was saturated. The curtain was pulled open suddenly, and Jiraiya stood there, staring at Naruto with a slight frown.

"I don't know why you're showering, Naruto," he said, "You have training to do."

Naruto, who had been to bathhouses naked with Jiraiya, was more bothered by Jiraiya interrupting his shower.

"You were rolling around hung over when I got up, Pervy Sage. How are you so motivated? At least let me finish my shower," he said.

A towel hit him in the face. Naruto turned off the shower before it would have soaked the towel.

"I've decided to work with you two today, and I won't take no for an answer. You still want to be Hokage and fight for Sasuke, don't you?" Jiraiya said.

"Of course I still want to be Hokage, but what do you mean, fight for Sasuke?" Naruto said.

Jiraiya's features relaxed and he put his arm on Naruto's shoulder.

He said, "You can protect him, as he can protect you. In fact, I'm going to base much of our training on your team dynamic. If you two use your powers to work together and fight, you'll be the best team of ninja Konoha ever had."

"Pervy Sage," Naruto said, "You really think so?"

Jiraiya pulled him out of the shower and pushed him towards the bathroom door.

He said, "I know you will be. So dry off and go get some clothes on. Sasuke is ready and waiting in the room."

Naruto hesitated after he put his hand over the doorknob.

"Do you think that if I become Hokage and fight with Sasuke that we can…bring peace to the village?" he said.

Jiraiya looked down at the floor. After a few moments his eyes met Naruto's again, and he regained his composure. He nodded slowly and smirked.

He said, "You can if you go train hard. Get going."

Naruto wrapped the towel around his waist and shoved the door open so he could run down the narrow hall to their room. He almost fell by slipping around on the wood floors. When he reached the door panel for their room, he pushed it open and walked quickly in, letting his towel go loose and fall from him. Sasuke had opened the panel facing outside and was standing on the concrete balcony, his silhouette framed against the cloudless, blue sky. He glanced over his shoulder at Naruto.

"Well, well, well," he said, "Someone is late."

Naruto pulled his pants on and fastened his kunai pouch around his leg.

"He isn't usually this motivated after a night out. Believe it," he said.

He strapped his feet into his sandals and reached for the black shirt he wore under his jacket. He hesitated for a second as he looked at Sasuke's new clothes. The light blue jacket, white shirt, and dark green pants were more color than he had ever seen Sasuke wear.

Sasuke said, "Do you like my new clothes?"

"They're nice. The colors look good together, if that's what you were aiming for," Naruto said.

Sasuke tisked.

"Of course that was what I was aiming for, idiot. I'm trying to learn what colors I like so I can know what I want when I start painting," he said.

Naruto pulled his shirt over his head. He decided to leave his jacket, because it would be too hot out to be wearing it for training, and stood up.

"I don't know what you're thinking. I'm the future Hokage, not a fashion critic," he said.

"You'll have to out train me if you'll be Hokage," Sasuke said, "I doubt you can."

Sasuke smirked. He walked to Naruto and picked up the headband lying on the ground between them. Naruto closed his eyes as Sasuke reached around his head with the two ends of the blue cloth and tied it in place firmly. He leaned forward and kissed Naruto on the cheek. Naruto felt his light breathing as he pulled back, and he opened his eyes enough to see Sasuke's pale face framed by his black hair and his two, onyx eyes standing out in the middle of the light tan skin. His white teeth showed in a smile as he spoke.

"That's a challenge," he said, "Let's go train."

"I accept. I won't go easy," Naruto said.

"Naruto," Sasuke said, "knowing you, I would never expect you to. Let's go."

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and walked to the door with him. He slid the door open, and Jiraiya was leaning against the wall opposite them.

"Are you ready?" he said.

Naruto nodded and heard Sasuke grunt his assent. They began to walk to the stairwell.

* * *

><p>Nagato shook his head. All six of his bodies were standing at the entrance of the last compound of Orochimaru's he could find in the Land of the Sound. The others had been deserted, but this was much more than that. The gates of the underground compound, which was deep in the forest, had been crushed inward, and bodies of many ninja were scattered in the entrance. He used Yahiko's eyes to look down and see that among the corpses Sasori's old informant, Kabuto Yakushi, lay, his glasses still over his eyes as if he had fallen asleep. A kunai had pierced him through the heart, and coagulated blood covered his body. A tug on Nagato's elbow pulled him back to his own body.<p>

"What do you see, Nagato?" Konan said, "Is there any sign of Itachi here?"

"The compound has been attacked, but there are no definite signs of Itachi," he said, "I'm going to go farther in."

He focused once more on the sensory output of the six bodies. He guided the five besides the Deva Path, Yahiko's body, to set a perimeter around the entrance of the cave and ensure no one escaped. He began his progress into the entrance with the Deva Path and felt that a large chakra source was not far away. In the gloomy, narrow, and wet cave he could see a large, steel door ajar. He pulled it open and leaned inside.

A large chamber with the roof entirely collapsed went on for hundreds of feet. At the far end a small, gray body was deep inside a crater-like depression in the wall. Nagato leaped across the distance with the use of gravity propulsion and saw that it was not a normal body as he approached. The bruised face of Orochimaru crowned a collection of snakes that had the vague shape of a human, but the chakra was not coming from here. Nagato returned to his normal body with enough attention to tell Konan what he saw.

"I can sense a large chakra, but it's not Orochimaru. Orochimaru is dead," he said.

He focused again on the Deva Path's perceptions. A loud cough and rustling in the dirt caused him to draw a kunai and walk over to the noise. He found, a few feet away and half buried in the dirt, Itachi Uchiha. Blood had mixed with his black hair, matting it, and covered much of the rest of him, flowing from a wound in his side. He wore only the basic, black undergarments and sandals that Akatsuki members wore beneath their robes. He coughed up blood and tried to push himself up but fell down again.

"Just kill me. I've already done what I set out to do," he said.

Nagato did not respond. He reached under Itachi's body and picked him up.

"What?" Itachi said, "What are you doing?"

"I need to know where Naruto Uzumaki is, Itachi. I know you were keeping tabs on Konoha," Nagato said, "Don't be afraid, though. I'll have Konan nurse you back to health so we can interrogate you properly."

Itachi pushed against Nagato but soon gave up, going limp.

"Why did you kill Orochimaru?" Nagato said.

Itachi said, "To save my brother. I've been lying here for two days waiting to die."

"Maybe you will have a chance see your brother again," Nagato said.

He began to carry him back to the entrance. The other bodies had not seen anyone try to escape, so he set his mind on his normal body.

"Konan, get ready to take care of Itachi's injuries as best you can and to do what you can for his disease. I'm bringing him to our location," he said.

"What did he do in the compound?" Konan said.

Nagato said, "He killed Orochimaru. He barely survived the fight, so we are lucky to have him still alive to bring in."

"Why did he leave the organization just to kill the likes of Orochimaru? It wasn't like Itachi to do something pointless like this," Konan said.

"He did it for his brother. I take it his little brother is now with the nine tails jinchuuriki, which would explain his eagerness to take on the mission to monitor Konoha," Nagato said.

Konan nodded. In the vision of the six paths Nagato saw himself and Konan, and he walked in the Deva Path's body to leave Itachi at Konan's feet. He lingered in his own vision on Yahiko's orange hair and pierced face, but he looked away and made the Deva Path turn around and join the other bodies. Konan leaned over and began to use medical ninjutsu.

"When we can move him let's head back to the area where we encountered Jiraiya. We can investigate any spa towns, if he's still the same man who taught us," Nagato said.

Through one of the paths he saw Konan smile with her eyes blankly staring at a point on the ground while she healed Itachi.

"It will be strange to see Jiraiya Sensei again," she said.

Nagato grunted and did not say anything more.

* * *

><p>Sasuke let the lighting chakra dissolve from his hand, the crackling and popping coming to a sudden stop as he stood up and relaxed his body. It was a sunny day out, and he, Naruto, who was letting his own rasengan dissolve, and Jiraiya were training in a grassy grove in the woods they had found outside of outside of Inazawa. He did not wanted to fire a charged chidori until he and Naruto had gotten their technique and timing down correctly. Jiraiya made a hand sign and a shadow clone appeared next to him.<p>

"Now, try to catch my shadow clone off guard," he said.

Naruto and Sasuke gave each other a small glance to make sure they were both ready for the attack. Naruto began forming his rasengan and running at the Jiraiya clone. Sasuke ran right behind him, feeling sweat run down his face and body from the day's exertions, and began to focus on gathering lightning chakra. Naruto jumped into the air with the pulsing, blue rasengan aimed at the clone's torso, and Sasuke ducked down, watching the clone's feet. They shifted to the left.

_Got you._

When the clone leaped out of the way of Naruto's attack, Sasuke ran as quickly as he could and in an instant was tackling the clone with his whole body emitting lightning chakra. The clone fell to the ground, bolts of electricity arcing around its limbs, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Jiraiya said, "Using Sasuke's speed to your advantage to catch an opponent off guard will be an important part of your teamwork. However, you should find a way to hide Sasuke's movement so the opponent is not able to disable the both of you before you reach him. In fact, if you could send shadow clones to attack instead of your physical selves and waited for the moment to strike, then this technique would be more effective. Your raw power, Naruto, complements Sasuke's finesse very well. Try it again then we can be done for the day."

Jiraiya formed another shadow clone and stepped back. Naruto looked at Sasuke, and they nodded to each other. They each created three shadow clones that formed a perimeter around clone Jiraiya and began to run towards him while charging their rasengans and chidoris. Sasuke watched the movements of Jiraiya's feet and saw him prepare to leap high into the air. Sasuke ran as quickly as he could and dove between the clone's legs then flipped over and kicked it in the back. The clone quickly recovered and formed its spiky, white hair into a protective covering over its body and sustained the attacks of the clones, which dissipated after using all of their allotted chakra and crashing against the spiky shell.

Sasuke saw the opening. He released lightning chakra from his fist and delivered a punch to the shell that caused the clone to stagger slightly, and then from the other side Naruto hit the clone with his full force rasengan. The shell of hair dissolved and the clone itself disappeared under the assault. Sasuke fell to his knees, breathing in big gasps of air, and Naruto ran to him.

"Are you ok, Sasuke?" Naruto said.

He held his hand out to Sasuke.

"I don't have your stamina, idiot. I just used all of my chidori shots in less than half an hour," Sasuke said.

He grabbed Naruto's hand tightly and let him pull him up. Jiraiya walked to them and put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"That was good, using Sasuke as a set up so you could get your attack in, Naruto. You two already have done a lot today to develop teamwork. I think working so hard deserves a meal, and I, luck would have it, bought us something to eat."

"I've been so hungry for ramen since I woke up!" Naruto said.

Jiraiya said, "I hope you can make it until I get it out of the bag. It is ramen. Anyways, I'm very proud of you two. You showed me how your close bonds allow you to understand and use each other's strengths and weaknesses. If this pace keeps up you two will be undefeatable fighting together before long. Don't think it will be easy, though. I'm going to work you two hard until we get there."

Sasuke felt something he had not felt in a long time, a feeling of accomplishment. All of his training with Orochimaru had not made him proud, and with Kakashi he had always been focused on achieving greater power. Now that it was not occupying all of his thoughts, though, Sasuke felt proud that he and Naruto accomplished so much.

"Thank you very much, Lord Jiraiya," Sasuke said.

"Don't be so formal, Sasuke. Just call me Jiraiya. Anything is better than what Naruto calls me," Jiraiya said.

"It's simple and descriptive, Pervy Sage. Don't deny that you're a pervert," Naruto said.

Jiraiya let out a hearty, strong laugh.

"I'm the biggest pervert around. It's a pity you two don't like women, because I could show you some great things in Inazawa," he said.

"I've seen enough thanks to you. Believe it," Naruto said.

Sasuke laughed a little at the remark. Jiraiya raised his eyebrows.

Jiraiya said, "You've softened him up, Naruto. He actually laughs. Maybe he'll teach you to think before you go ahead with some of your stupid ideas."

Jiraiya sat down cross-legged on the ground and opened a paper bag he had set on the ground. He pulled out three plastic containers filled with noodle and soup dishes. Naruto and Sasuke sat down with him in a rough circle around the bag, making the green, crisp grass crunch.

"I've tried, but he doesn't seem willing to learn," Sasuke said.

Naruto poked him in the side with a sharp jab of the finger.

"I've gotten smarter. Come on!" he said.

Jiraiya threw a container at Naruto, who barely caught it. He handed Sasuke his, pulling out chopsticks and passing them around.

"Just eat. You're definitely good at that," he said.

Sasuke snorted. Naruto was certainly the most proficient eater he had ever met. They all opened their bowls and ate, the white-haired sensei, the blond-haired food lover, and the black-haired Uchiha enjoying rest and quiet together after a long day of training under the sun.


	15. Chapter 15

**Note: I worked hard today to get this one out! Just so you guys know, I may try to do more, but I'll always put up a chapter before each weekend is over. I'll see this through to its end! Enjoy.**

XV

Soujiro stopped writing in the guest book to stretch his wrist. In the lobby of the hotel, which only had a few fluorescent lights hanging from the wooden ceiling, the dim, orange light of the setting sun gave little light to read and write by. The front desk, or what would better be called an office-desk, stood at the back of the large, wood-floored room with panels painted with images of cherry blossoms being the walls. The whole front of the room facing outwards was glass, including the door.

Soujiro, a black-haired young man with a boyish face, wore a formal, white uniform at work that made him stiff. He had been modifying the guest registration and entering records for hours without a single customer coming in. He leaned back in his chair and stretched, yawning. He snapped back to attention so quickly that he almost fell out of his chair when the door quietly opened and a silhouette approached the desk.

"Sir," Soujiro said, "how may I help you?"

"Is a man by the name Jiraiya staying at this hotel? I was going to meet him, but I could not find where he was staying. I'm Yahiko, an old friend of his," he said.

Soujiro saw that the man was tall and thin, having orange hair, a headband, piercings all over his face, and purple eyes. He saw the pattern of the robe and recognized the red clouds on black as the symbol of the Akatsuki. He knew he had to act.

"Let me check, sir," he said.

He reached under the table for a button that would trigger the alarm system. As his hand had almost reached it the man grabbed him around the neck and picked him up out of his chair.

"Touch that button and you will die. Is Jiraiya here?" he said.

Soujiro struggled against the grip. He finally relaxed, breathing large gulps of air.

"Yes, a man named Jiraiya checked in yesterday. Please, let me down," he said.

The Deva Path said, "What room is he staying in?"

"504," Soujiro said.

The Deva Path said, "Thank you for your help."

The cold hand constricted and crushed Soujiro's esophagus. Darkness began to constrict his field of vision, and he could only produce small gasps of air. He could not believe how great the pain was, but that pain faded away. He felt himself hit the floor. Then all went dark.

* * *

><p>Jiraiya walked down the hall to his room. Naruto and Sasuke were having a moment together after they had stopped at a noodle stand, and he did not want to be a drag on them by staying around. He pushed the key into the door and slid it open. The three cots were neatly made and moonlight lit the room, and the sounds of Inazawa, although muffled, still echoed in the space. The panel that led to the patio was open, and a black-cloaked figure stood outside, facing out over the city. Jiraiya saw that the man had orange hair. He drew a kunai from a pouch on his belt and slowly approached him. The man barely turned his head.<p>

"Jiraiya," a deep voice said, "Come out and talk for a moment. It's been a long time."

Jiraiya lunged and grabbed the man by his shoulder, spinning him around. The face of Yahiko, drained of color and with piercings down the bridge of his nose, confronted him. His brown eyes were now purple spirals, the rinnegan. Jiraiya stepped back.

"Yahiko? What's happened to you?" he said.

"I am Pain, but this body was Yahiko's. You have met my other paths before," the Deva Path said.

Jiraiya hunched over then leaped forward to strike Pain. The body blocked his punch with a flick of its arm then with the other caused Jiraiya to fly backwards and crash through the room's door. He stood up amid the rubble. He furrowed his eyebrows and began making handsigns.

"The rinnegan and its powers…is that you, Nagato? What have you become?" he said.

He leaned forward and projected a fireball from his mouth at the Deva Path, but the wall burst open and another body stood in the way. The body that had withstood the attack lowered its six arms, torso bare from the burning away of the Akatsuki robe. It had a wide neck that narrowed to a bald top crowned with metal studs, and it also had the rinnegan and piercings of the Deva Path.

"No, I am Pain. I am not Nagato, Yahiko, or anyone else," the Deva Path said, "Where is the jinchuuriki, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya said, "Nagato, you won't get him. With all of our strength his friends and I will protect him. Have you forgotten so much of what I taught you? You could bring peace. For long I have wished only to teach and see you, Yahiko, and Konan again. I could not have dreamed that you had fallen so far away or that I would see Yahiko's face like this. It brings back a lot of memories."

He paused and shook his head.

"This boy you're trying to kill reminds me so much of Yahiko. What will you accomplish by killing him and so many other people? Have you fallen so low as to want only to have power over others?" he said.

The Deva Path paused, and what were Yahiko's features weakened. His eyes met Jiraiya's.

"I will bring peace. I will bring pain, and then the world will know the peace that I have found through my pain. If this boy and his lover will die, then so be it. Many must die for the world to understand the truth and discover peace. Yahiko's death brought me closer to the path of truth, and if I kill this boy for the purpose of saving the world, then he must die. Konan and I did not watch Yahiko kill himself to lie down and surrender his dream," he said.

"You will not bring peace through the path of suffering. That was never Yahiko's dream," said Jiraiya, "This boy has more good in him and potential than you could imagine. Someday he will be the Hokage of Konoha. He has made friends out of enemies and has great power that he wields without vanity. He has even earned the respect of his village despite having another boy as a lover. I will never let you have him and kill him, Nagato."

Jiraiya began to run at the two again. The Asura Path stepped aside, and the Deva Path held up its hand to prepare its jutsu. Jiraiya dived at toward the floor, focusing chakra in his feet to make the jump stronger, and enveloped himself with his hardened hair. He crashed into the floor, snapping the wood and forcing the Deva Path to jump to the side. When he hit the balcony he burst through its railing and fell down to the street below.

* * *

><p>Sasuke braced Naruto's arm over his shoulder in front of the glass doors of their hotel. The vast crowds that appeared with the coming of the nighttime had not appeared in the streets of Inazawa, and only a few people walked the sidewalk and dirt streets.<p>

"I shouldn't have let the Pervy Sage give me some sake," Naruto said, "I felt so good then it hit me after walking a few blocks."

Sasuke pulled Naruto, who was slipping down slowly, back around his neck. Naruto burped and tried to claw at Sasuke's shirt to get a better grip. Sasuke stopped and looked at him, snorting.

He said, "This is why I don't drink. It leaves you weak and helpless."

As Sasuke fumbled with the door handle an impact behind them in the street caused him to drop Naruto on the ground and turn around, drawing a kunai. He saw Jiraiya standing up and waving at them from a small crater, breathing hard and surrounded by a cloud of dust.

"The Akatsuki have found us. We have to go, now," he said.

Sasuke reached down for Naruto, but then the glass of the façade shattered and flew outwards. Pieces lodged themselves in his back and legs and caused blood to flow. The force of the explosion knocked him meters away, making him land on his face. Jiraiya pushed him over and pulled him up by his hand. Sasuke made himself block out the pain.

"We have to get Naruto back from them. Get up," he said.

Sasuke turned and activated his sharingan. The presumed source of the explosion stood in an Akatsuki robe with spiky orange hair, holding Naruto over his shoulder.

_He even looks a little like Naruto. _

Sasuke formed his hands into the sign for shadow clones and had them run to the sides of the Deva Path preparing weak chidoris. Sasuke himself caught the eye of the Deva Path. He knew this would be his best opportunity. He cast a genjutsu with the sharingan that made it seem that everything was closer than it appeared, and the Path began to swat at imagined enemies as the shadow clones closed in on him. However, when the clones all were about to land their attacks the Deva Path smiled and pressed its hand to the ground. A burst of force knocked the clones away and made them disappear into smoke.

"What? How is he seeing through my genjutsu?" Sasuke said.

Jiraiya spun around and blocked multiple punches from behind by crossing his arms. Sasuke broke eye contact and jumped to the side, the Asura path leaping to where he was.

"I can see with many eyes," the Deva Path said.

"Before the other ones get here you have to get Naruto from him. I'll distract the vision of this one. Go, Sasuke!" Jiraiya said.

From his pouch Sasuke pulled five shuriken and ran at the Deva Path. He charged them with fire chakra and threw them, using his chakra to have them move around to blind spots. The Deva Path made a handsign that caused a water barrier to appear around it and neutralize the shuriken, but Sasuke took the chance of the blind spot to dive through the barrier and emit lightning chakra from his body. He grabbed the body's legs and felt it shake violently as they both fell to the ground. After he hit the ground Sasuke could see Naruto try to stand up on all fours. Sasuke scrambled to get closer to him, but a hand took hold of his leg and dragged him back. Small pieces of paper began to rapidly fly into his field of vision and surround Naruto, who could not struggle enough to get away.

"Sasuke Uchiha, your brother told us so much about you," the Deva Path's deep voice said.

"Wha-…?" Sasuke said.

He felt a strong blow hit the back of his head and immediately was unconscious.


	16. Chapter 16

XVI

Nagato and Konan walked down the woodland path, he being carried high off of the ground in his six-legged, steel walker and she being on foot, and five of the six paths walked behind them, the Deva Path and Asura Path carrying Sasuke and Itachi. It was mid day, and for the longest time the only sound was that of the soft impact of feet and metal on the dirt path. Nagato was tight-lipped and his body tensed. His red hair hung over his eyes. Konan broached the silence.

"Are you sure you can take on Konoha by yourself? They are one of the largest ninja villages," She said.

Nagato said, "It'll be fine, Konan. I'll use the jinchuuriki's lover as a means to get a hold of him, and Jiraiya won't be able to save him if he wants to give himself up to us. I know how effective that can be in persuading someone to do something against their will."

Konan hung her head as she walked and shook her it from side to side, her purple hair shimmering in the light.

"You over-exerted yourself in Inazawa. You and Jiraiya destroyed a whole neighborhood in your battle," she said, "and he destroyed the Animal Path completely. Without summoning we will have trouble against their numbers."

"Don't worry. I can still summon them myself and send the animals into battle. I took Jiraiya's arm away from him, so he will be much less of a worry. The other ninja in Konoha will not be so difficult to handle. Do you not have any faith in me anymore?" Nagato said.

"I just don't want you to get carried away and have you die before we bring peace, that's all," Konan said.

She looked forward into the distance. Nagato returned to his tight-jawed gaze at nothing in particular. He knew they had many miles left to travel. He wanted to be done with the whole business, and he would have the comfort of being that much closer to the fulfillment of his plan. The image of what Jiraiya had said in the hotel room in Inazawa played in his head, and he clenched his fist on the walker until his knuckles went white.

"Konan," he said, "Jiraiya told me that he thought we were betraying Yahiko's dream of peace."

The corners of Konan's mouth rose up, and she kept her eyes fixed in the distance.

"No, Nagato," she said, "This very moment we are carrying out his dream. He would be proud of you. If he were here he would find it beautiful what we are doing."

* * *

><p>Sakura sat on a bench with Lee, along the road to the gate of Konoha. Trees lined it, and a light breeze made the branches blow back and forth, making the late-afternoon light shift in kaleidoscopic patterns. The road itself was simple and dirt-paved. Sakura wore her usual pink shirt and skirt with short, black tights, and Lee wore his green jumpsuit with an unbuttoned flak jacket. Lee wiped sweat off of his brow, the drops flying off his hair an ephemeral glint in the sunlight..<p>

"It's so hot out today. The summer heat is difficult for training, but it's not bad enough to make me give up," he said, flashing a smile and thumbs up.

Sakura, who was turned towards him, put her hand on his shoulder and laughed.

"Lee," she said, "Just make sure you get enough water so you don't get dehydrated. You'd hate to miss training time because you passed out in the middle of it."

She picked up a tall, metal water bottle that was next to her on the bench and handed it to Lee. He took it from her hands, a light blush beginning to color his cheeks. He scratched the back of his head with his free hand.

"Sakura, thank you so much for offering this. You've been very nice to me lately, and I appreciate spending time with you a lot. I was going to take a little time off training to go eat at the Ichiriku stand this evening, and…I was wondering if you would like to go with me," he said.

He smiled. Sakura, ever hard to get, took her sweet time to say anything and played with the corner of her skirt, looking down at her hand as it twisted and untwisted the fabric. She nodded her head then looked into Lee's eyes. He saw her lack of smile and was about to apologize, but she put a finger over his mouth.

"As long as we share the ticket," she said, "Don't be too chivalrous, but we can definitely go to Ichiriku tonight."

Lee's blush intensified. Then he unscrewed the bottle of water's lid and held it up between them, his other hand returning to thumbs up.

He said, "Sakura, I will be waiting for you there. You can count on me, and I won't even suggest paying for you. In fact, I never even thought to. Thank you so much! Let me drink all of this amazing water before I have to head to my training."

He put the top of the bottle to his lips and began to chug. Sakura opened her eyes wide and then put her hand over her mouth, and while still drinking he turned to see what drew her attention. Walking up the path from the gate was Jiraiya, his right arm, or more a stub, roughly bandaged and covered in blood and his clothes tattered. Naruto was over his left shoulder, Jiraiya's remaining arm keeping him steady, and limp as if he were dead. Lee dropped the bottle and ran as fast as he could towards them. He could hear Sakura's footsteps close behind. When he reached Jiraiya he pulled Naruto off of his shoulder and laid him face-up on the ground, and Sakura braced Jiraiya, whose eyes were half-closed. His legs gave out and Sakura had to support all of his weight, the smell of dry blood and infection on the air.

"Lord Jiraiya, what happened? Where is Sasuke?" she said.

"He is coming," Jiraiya said, "Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki. I battled him in Inazawa and lost an arm. He took Sasuke and almost had Naruto. Get me Tsunade, we have to talk now."

"First you need to rest and get medical care," Sakura said.

She put her hand on his neck and focused chakra in it, and the green, flame-like shape that enveloped her hand made him pass out. .

"Lee, go get anyone you can find to come help. We have to take them to the hospital. I'll do what I can here," she said.

"Yes, Sakura, I'll go alert whoever I can," Lee said.

Sakura grabbed his arm before he began running.

"We can have the dinner together another day," she said.

Lee looked at her and laughed.

"I'll take that for a promise. I should go," he said.

His rapid pace beat against the soft dirt into the distance as Sakura unzipped the jacket and ripped Naruto's shirt open. He was not as wounded as she thought and had a few scrapes and bruises. When she got to Jiraiya and opened his shirt to probe for wounds she was shocked at his condition. His body had many bruises and bloody wounds, and his right arm from above the shoulder was removed and bandaged with brown, dirty scraps of cloth. The infection she had smelled had its origin here. She set to work healing the wound with what she could. There was nothing more she could do. She wished Tsunade would be there soon.

* * *

><p>Itachi coughed and sent red stains over the grass around him. It was nighttime, and Konan and Nagato had found a grassy grove just off of the road for rest. Konan leaned against a tree, her eyes shut, but Nagato relaxed in his walker, the Deva Path sitting between Sasuke and Itachi, who were bound by rope around the ankles, wrists, and torsos. Itachi leaned forward to look over at Sasuke, but he could only see the faintest blur of blue and black among the shadows of the night.<p>

"Don't try to move or get away, Itachi," the Deva Path said, "I'm sure you won't, though. You look like you've gone completely blind from your fight with Orochimaru. You overused your gift, pity."

"Why are you keeping us? You might as well kill us," Sasuke said.

Itachi relaxed and leaned back on hearing Sasuke's voice.

"You're there, little brother," Itachi said, "I didn't know if you were ok."

The Deva Path said, "The same reason we took Itachi. To assure quality of information and that none of you will betray us. If you do betray us, Itachi, your little brother will die. If Sasuke betrays us, you will die. It's very simple."

"What do you need us to do? I'm fine, Itachi," Sasuke said, Itachi seeing the vague blur shift forward and, he hoped, looking at him, "I just have some cuts and bruises. Where have you been? How did they get information out of you?"

An arm hit Itachi in the chest, and he fell on his back, rolling and doubling over.

"Speak less and get some sleep for tomorrow's journey, you two. I have no interest in telling you more than either of you need to know. However, two brothers being together after so long, I can imagine you would want to talk. Tell him what happened, Itachi," the Deva Path said.

Itachi took his time breathing, and the pain faded away with each breath. He rolled face-up and inhaled to speak. A cough cut any words short. He shook and doubled up and swallowed the blood when the cough went away.

"Itachi…" Sasuke said.

"I…" Itachi said, "I went to the Land of Sound and destroyed everything Orochimaru had. I hunted him to his last hideout and killed him in combat, and I was going to die where I lay. Pain found me first."

"Why did you tell him information about me and Naruto?" Sasuke said, his tone harsher.

"I had no choice. They tortured me and healed me until I would tell them. It took them a long time to break me, but I had to succumb," Itachi said.

His vision was starting to fade out. He coughed and rolled against Pain without thinking. A cold hand settled on his head and patted it.

"Itachi," the Deva Path said, "You might die before we even reach Konoha."

Itachi heard the soft sound of fist against skin, and he saw Sasuke's amorphous outline fall to the ground. The Deva Path stood up and walked away from them, and Itachi tried to sleep as best he could.


	17. Chapter 17

XVII

Sakura's eyes opened for the first time in a few hours. From her seat at the foot of the hospital beds, she saw that the light was slanting horizontally and had a warm, orange color. Jiraiya and Naruto's faces showed, Jiraiya's face surrounded by white hair on her left and Naruto's face crowned with blond hair on her right, but the rest of their bodies were wrapped in the sterile, white sheets of the iron beds. Sakura looked at the clock. It read 7:00 P.M., and she knew she had to head home.

"I have to check on you two before I can go, though," she said.

She pushed her pink hair back out of her eyes and walked to the space between them. She leaned forward and looked at the readings on the equipment stacked there, nodding. Everything read stable and well. Then she turned to the right and put her hand on Naruto's neck, feeling a vein to make certain his pulse was all right. As she closed her eyes and counted seconds and heartbeats, Sakura jumped when a hand grabbed her wrist. When she opened her eyes she saw Naruto was sitting up with his eyes wide and staring at her, leaning on his left arm. The sheet had fallen down and exposed his shirtless torso.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Naruto? I was just checking your pulse." Sakura said.

She yanked her hand out of Naruto's grip, and he opened his mouth, his lips forming the outline of sounds that was realized as a slight whisper of breath. Sakura shook her head and leaned forward.

She said, "Speak up."

Naruto cleared his throat.

"Is Pain here? Is Jiraiya ok?" he said.

Sakura put a hand on his shoulder.

"No one is here to kill you, Naruto. You're in Konoha. Jiraiya is lying in the bed. He came into the village carrying you on his shoulder." she said.

Naruto leaned forward, and Sakura moved to let him get a better look at Jiraiya. When he saw Jiraiya he leaned back and fell onto his pillow..

"When he attacked us Jiraiya could barely keep fighting him. Pain took out Sasuke and me before we could try to help. Well, I'm glad Jiraiya managed to save me and Sasuke," he said.

Sakura leaned forward and replaced her hand on Naruto's shoulder. She cleared her throat. She did not think she would have to deliver this news today or that Naruto was ignorant of it.

"Naruto," she said, "We don't know where Sasuke is. Jiraiya said Pain took him."

Naruto laughed

"Don't try to joke with me, Sakura. Get him to come see me, he has to be hanging around the hospital somewhere," he said.

Sakura did not change her expression, and she squeezed Naruto's shoulder. She had trouble speaking anything more out loud, stuttering the first syllable of her sentence as her tongue tripped.

"I - I'm not joking. When Jiraiya came back he was only carrying you," she said.

Naruto's smile had dissolved as she enunciated each syllable. The beginnings of a glisten of a tear appeared in the corners of his eyes.

Naruto said, "Sasuke is gone? How? Pain wanted me…"

Naruto threw the sheets off and pulled his IV out. Sakura reached for him, but he had swung his feet and stood up, tottering and supporting himself against the doorway as he walked out. He had his black pants as his sole clothing. Sakura jumped over the bed and followed him into the hallway. She knew he could not go outside in an emotional state like this.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" she said.

Naruto, leaning now against the wall and breaking into a slow jog, did not turn back to look at her.

"I'm going to train. Believe it. I'm going to train and kill that bastard, and I'll get Sasuke back. I don't care if I'm a jinchuuriki and Akatsuki wants to capture me," he yelled.

He turned the corner just as Sakura reached out to grab him, and she stumbled but continued the pursuit. They ran past the front desk that was on their right, and as Naruto pushed the glass door open Sakura threw her arms around his waist and tackled him to the ground. He tried to struggle, but Sakura held him down, concentrating chakra into her arms. The cloud of dust they created upon hitting the ground subsided. Naruto's attempts to escape came to a stop under Sakura's body after a few moments. The sounds of Naruto's sobbing were the sole sound that remained besides the evening breeze and the occasional bird. Sakura felt and saw his body fall and rise with each gasp, his blond hair shaking and his muscles tensed beneath her.

"He can't be gone," Naruto said.

"He isn't gone. We don't know what happened to him, but you can't assume the worst," Sakura said.

Footsteps approached them. Sakura looked up enough to see Kakashi's outline and dimly lit features against the late evening sky.

"I was going to check on you, Naruto, but you met me halfway. I'm glad Sakura managed to hold you down before you acted rashly. You need to go back to the hospital room and get some rest," Kakashi said.

Sakura stood up, and Naruto continued to lay supine. Streams of tears traced out the contours of his face and met the ground, and his eyes were red. He shook his head with the slightest movement.

"I'll get Sasuke back. I'll kill Pain, and I'll get Sasuke back...," Naruto said.

Naruto pushed himself up and remained on all fours, staring at the ground and swaying. He stood up, stumbling back but regaining his balance, and turned around. Sakura stepped to the side as he walked past her into the hospital, his eyes still trained on the ground. Kakashi's eye met Sakura's, and she stepped closer to Kakashi and crossed her arms in front of her torso. Kakashi pulled his hands out of his pockets and cocked his head to the side.

"What is it, Sakura?" Kakashi said.

"It's just hard to see him like that, Kaka sensei. When we were all just friends I could mediate, but now that he and Sasuke are together it's hard for me to know what to do. Naruto is so focused on him," Sakura said.

"It will get better with time," Kakashi said, "You're used to having a different relationship among you three. When Naruto has cooled down and thought this through you'll be able to talk with him again. You remember how much it affected both of you to lose Sasuke to Orochimaru. Imagine that several times over, and imagine being as volatile as Naruto's emotions can be. He'll be all right, Sakura. Head on home, and I'll go in to make sure Naruto gets back to his bed. You don't need to be around him when you're agitated."

Sakura let her mind absorb what Kakashi had said. She understood him, and her emotions of uneasiness faded into the background; her arms fell back to her side.

"Thank you, Kaka Sensei. Will you come with me after lunch tomorrow to check on him?" she said.

"I'll be here," Kakashi said, "I'll see you tomorrow at noon, Sakura."

"Goodbye," Sakura said.

She took a deep breath and turned around, walking down the path. It was now almost dark outside, and she felt fatigue overwhelm her. She wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep in her own bed. It would all be better the next day.

* * *

><p>A man in a flak jacket and a stylized animal mask stood up in a tree, watching the sunrise and taking a break from his patrol. His train of thought wended to his name. He did not have a name anymore, and he did not try to remember his old one. He had been attached to it the first few months after he had joined ANBU, but he had removed the sentiment. He had joined for duty. He was just a cog in the machine, and it did not bother him. He felt his brown hair to make sure it was still in a ponytail. He was tall and skinny, his skin covered in goose bumps from the morning air. When he had secured his ponytail, he reached behind his head and stretched his arms. A loud rustling in the branches above caused him to grab the sword hung on his back and draw it, jumping to the closest tree and looking up to see what was there.<p>

He felt something slip around his ankle, and he found himself being dragged backward. He turned and slashed at the assailant, which was a mass of small pieces of paper that had formed from below and grabbed his leg. The sword cut through. He replaced it in its scabbard and made a series of hand seals. He bent forward and blew a fireball from his mouth that consumed the paper chain. He leaped down to the ground and began to run towards the road.

A mass of paper began to form in the air in front of him. He stopped and made another series of hand seals. Two shadow clones appeared next to him, and the three of them drew their swords. He dove below the forming mass and stabbed upwards while the other two sliced horizontally. Their blades did not make any progress in cutting the now human-shaped paper. Its edges became sharp. Two limbs projected outwards and knocked out the shadow clones. The assailant, whose Akatsuki robe and blue hair were now in the ANBU's clear view, lowered onto him and began to crush him under her mass. He did not have the strength to resist. He saw a single piece of paper project outwards towards his face and shoot towards his eye. He yelled, and he did not see anything more.

* * *

><p>Kakashi stood with Yamato on the lawn in front of Konoha hospital. It was mid day and the sun was in the middle of its course in the sky. There were a few clouds out. Yamato rubbed his stomach and yawned.<p>

"I've eaten too much, Kakashi senpai. You shouldn't have let me get so carried away," he said.

"Yamato," Kakashi said, "It's probably the last time I offer to pay for whatever you want to get after we go train in the morning. You ate more than Naruto usually does."

"You should've known better in the first place, not giving me time to have a quick breakfast before exercise," Yamato said.

Sakura, in her usual clothes, walked off the path and onto the lawn to join them, brushing through a low hanging tree.

"Hello, Yamato sensei and Kaka sensei. Are we going to head inside?"

"Certainly," Kakashi said, "We were waiting for you."

Kakashi walked to the door, pulling it open and holding it. Sakura and Yamato went in ahead of him. As they walked through the lobby Kakashi nodded to the attendant, and Sakura and Yamato waved at her. Sakura turned her head back a little to talk to Kakashi.

"Do you know how Naruto and Jiraiya have been doing?" Sakura said.

"I don't know any more than you. Do not worry too much, they'll be all right," Kakashi said.

They stopped as the door flung open behind them and turned around. Shizune came to a skidding stop in front of Kakashi.

"Kakashi and Yamato, the Lady Hokage is requesting your presence at an emergency meeting. We've lost contact with many of our ANBU patrols in the direction of Naruto and Jiraiya's battle with the Akatsuki, and we need to determine a plan of action," she said.

"Have the Lady Hokage come here and speak with Jiraiya," Yamato said, "He and Naruto will be able to give us detailed information about the enemy."

"I agree," Kakashi said, "Ask the Hokage if she could come here. We need to hear what Naruto and Jiraiya have to say."

Shizune said, "I will tell her about your request. Please stay in Jiraiya's room, and I will try to get her to come here as soon as I can. The elders and clan leaders may be here also."

Sakura said, "Do I need to head home, Kaka sensei?"

Kakashi said, "No, just go with us to stay with Naruto and Jiraiya. You need to get Naruto in a better state of mind before we put him under pressure, and I know the elders will put pressure on him. Let's go. We'll be waiting, Shizune."

Shizune nodded and went back out, jerking the door open and running down the dirt path outside. Kakashi, Yamato, and Sakura turned down the hallway and went to Naruto's room.

* * *

><p>Naruto let his fingers drift against the side of Sasuke's pale, slim torso, or so he imagined. His muscles were each outlined and firm to the touch. They were naked in Naruto's bed together, the sheets thrown back, facing towards each other, and the blue light of the moon through curtains intermingled with the white light of the pure moon, illuminating the upper half of Sasuke's face in many shades. Naruto kept his eyes closed and imagined Sasuke's face hanging close to his. The warm breath covered his face and filled the air he breathed and gave back to Sasuke. Sasuke's two onyx eyes were deep, dark waters reflecting Naruto's blue eyes in the washed and marble pale perfection of his face. Sasuke's hair kept to its natural way and did not fall too far into his face. The calloused and strong hand that began to trace the whisker marks on his face caused a shiver to run down Naruto's spine. His hair stood on end for a moment.<p>

"I won't let you go again, Sasuke. Believe it," he said.

Sasuke's lips for several, drawn out moments turned up into a smile that burned away at Naruto's resolve to restrain his desires. He reached his arm around Sasuke and pushed their bodies together. He kissed Sasuke, who kissed back, and felt the electric current of each blue, sensual second pulse through and consume him at each point of skin on skin contact that became a conduit. From above the lean, pale, and muscular bodies intertwined, hands running through hair and over nooks and crannies all over, the two merged into the appearance of one. The feeling made Naruto feel whole.

Then the sound of footsteps in the hallway made Naruto open his eyes and return his mind to the hospital room from the daydream. Jiraiya still slept to his right. It all came back to Naruto. He could not lie in bed all night with Sasuke. He could not talk to him for hours. He could not even see him. The Akatsuki had killed many innocent people, almost killing even Jiraiya, who had taught Naruto so much, in pursuit of power, and now they had taken Sasuke away too. Naruto put his hand on the seal on his stomach. He knew what he would have to do, but he would not tell anyone his plans. He had to do this alone. Pain had come for him and harmed those he loved, and Pain would get more than he had ever bargained for.


	18. Chapter 18

XVIII

Jiraiya blinked, and his eyes adjusted their focus to the light of mid-afternoon, which filled the room. His hospital room was full of people. Homaru and Koharu, the two grey-headed elders, Kakashi, Yamato, Sakura, and Tsunade stood around his bed. Jiraiya moved his right arm to push his sheets back, but nothing happened. He let his head roll to the side and looked at the bandaged stub where his arm had once been, half-covered by the sheets.

"I didn't remember that I had lost it. It doesn't matter, though; because I assume you all are here for a good reason. What do you need to know, Tsunade?" Jiraiya said.

Homaru's foot tapped against the tile floor.

"We need intelligence on the Akatsuki operative who is approaching the village," he said.

"Don't push him. He's been seriously injured," Tsunade said.

She tensed her right arm and closed her eyes, gritting her teeth. Jiraiya rolled his head so he could look at her.

"It's quite alright, Tsunade. I can tell you everything I know," he said.

"Then do so," Homaru said.

Tsunade relaxed and stepped back. Kakashi and Yamato walked to Naruto's bed with Sakura. Jiraiya heard Naruto rolling over, but he continued with what he was to say.

"The enemy we encountered was one of the two-man Akatsuki teams. They are both former students of mine, ninja of Amegakure. The first is Nagato, who exists in six bodies at once that have the powers of his dojutsu, the rinnegan. He is the leader of the Akatsuki and by the far the most dangerous. The second is Konan, who has the ability to transform into and manipulate paper. She only plays a supporting role but is still a very dangerous kunoichi," he said.

Koharu shook her head.

"They are coming for the kyuubi inside of Naruto. We should have him leave the village immediately and go into hiding while we are preparing to defend the village," she said.

Jiraiya heard a crashing of metal and the rustling of sheets. He turned his head and saw Naruto standing between their beds, pushing Sakura out of the way as he stared at Koharu.

"I'll stay right here and fight Pain. I'm not leaving this village when it's under threat. I won't – " he said.

Sakura grabbed him and pulled him back. His torso heaved up and down with the rhythm of his rough breathing, and his eyes, their blueness made sharper by the sunlight, did not move away from Koharu. Jiraiya reached out with his left hand and grazed Naruto's arm.

"Don't worry, Naruto. We won't make you leave," he said.

Tsunade said, "I had decided that you would stay before I came here. Don't worry, we won't send you away from the village."

Homaru pushed his glasses up and shook his head.

"This boy has what the enemy is looking for. If this Nagato almost killed Jiraiya, then we need to protect the Kyuubi from the Akatsuki. We've given you a lot of leeway in dealing with Naruto recently, but Koharu and I demand that you remove Naruto from Konoha before the enemy arrives," he said.

Tsunade grabbed Homaru and Koharu by their collars and lifted them off the ground. They both grabbed at Tsunade's hands to try to pry themselves loose, but she lifted them until their chins were level with the top of her head.

Koharu said, "Let us down! Someone stop her!"

Not a single person in the room moved. Tsunade's mouth twisted into a scowl

"You two disgust me. Do you have any idea what he has suffered or what he can do for Konoha? Naruto wants to fight to protect our village and save Sasuke Uchiha, a captured ninja of our village. He's not a weapon for us to use because of the Kyuubi. He will stay and fight if he wants to stay and fight; that is my decision as Hokage. We have to put faith in him and the younger generation to defend Konoha," she said.

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade and smiled.

"I think they understand well enough, Tsunade. Let them down," he said.

Tsunade's grip relaxed and the two elders fell to the floor. Tsunade stepped away from them and crossed her arms, and Kakashi and Yamato walked over to help them get up. The elders pushed them away and stood up by their own power. Then they walked out the door without saying a word. Jiraiya saw that Sakura had managed to get Naruto to sit on the edge of his bed and lighten his breathing.

"It's still a problem, Naruto," Tsunade said, "Will you be able to fight if Nagato uses Sasuke as a hostage? You can't give in if he does; the ninja world cannot afford to lose you to the Akatsuki."

Naruto, whose head was hanging, the spikes of his hair bobbing as he inhaled and exhaled, nodded his head. He then looked up, his eyelids puffy and red. He closed his eyes and smiled, giving thumbs up.

"I'll fight the best I can. It's not just Sasuke, but the whole village that we're fighting for. I wouldn't do anything to cause harm to the people I care about," he said.

Kakashi said, "The elders won't be stopping you. I think you embarrassed them, Lady Hokage."

Jiraiya laughed.

"It's just like you to do that to the two most respected people in the village, Tsunade. They'll feel better; it's just a little wounded pride. They're used to deference, but times are changing," he said.

He rolled his body to the left so he could see Naruto. The sharp pain reminded him that he some broken ribs.

"Damn my ribs – As for you, Naruto, are you sure you're ok?" he said.

Naruto stood up, leaning on Sakura.

"I'm doing better than you, Pervy Sage," he said.

Jiraiya let his eyes linger on Naruto's face. The smile Naruto put on struck him as false, but he would talk to Naruto when they were alone. He would have to make sure that Naruto did not do anything rash when Pain used Sasuke as bait for Naruto.

"What are you staring at?" Naruto said.

"I'm thinking. What else?" Jiraiya said.

Kakashi, having found his way to the window and looking out, tapped his foot.

He said, "I'm sorry to be impatient, Lord Jiraiya, but we need to have more intelligence to plan for Pain's arrival. Are there specific powers that we should prepare countermeasures for?"

Tsunade grunted and nodded from the foot of Jiraiya's bed.

Jiraiya said, "They each have an individual power. One can manipulate gravity around him, one can read minds, one can summon, one has a mechanical body, one body absorbs chakra, and the last one has the power to interrogate. They are all highly proficient in taijutsu and a few ninjutsu, and the body that Nagato uses for interrogation can also restore the others if they are damaged. They're impossible to defeat when they're working together. You will recognize the most powerful body, Tsunade. He's one of the three orphans that I stayed with all of those years ago. Nagato, the orphan who had the rinnegan, controls the six bodies, and his partner Konan is the third orphan."

Tsunade grabbed the rail at the foot of the bed.

"Why did they join the Akatsuki? You told me Nagato would be the ninja who brought peace after you returned from Amegakure," she said.

"Hanzo, our enemy in the last ninja war, betrayed them and killed Yahiko," Jiraiya said, "I think Nagato is looking to create peace through the Akatsuki, but I don't know his plans."

Jiraiya noticed Sakura's small frown.

"Who were these orphans, Lord Jiraiya?" Sakura said.

Naruto nodded as she asked the question.

"Pervy Sage, is Nagato the man with the orange hair who captured Sasuke?" he said.

Kakashi sighed.

"I had heard about the civil war in Amegakure, but I didn't know two of your students were involved, Lord Jiraiya," he said.

Jiraiya felt lightheadedness come over him and breathed with his eyes closed for a moment to recover. The room was quiet while he did so. When he felt his ability to think returning he opened his eyes again.

"The man who attacked us was Yahiko, the one who Hanzo killed. He was Nagato's lover before he was murdered. The blue-haired woman who almost captured you was Konan. I met them a long, long time ago. I'll do my best to tell the story…" he said.

* * *

><p>Jiraiya did not shiver in the rain despite his wet armor and clothes, and he assumed neither Orochimaru nor Tsunade did either. It was hard to shiver when the adrenaline pumped through their bodies and made them keep walking through the endless, muddy fields. Orochimaru's long, black hair and pale skin, Jiraiya's long, white hair, and Tsunade's long blonde hair were the sole spots of color in the dreary flatlands.<p>

"Do you think we should stop?" Tsunade said.

Orochimaru did not speak. Jiraiya and Tsunade stood close together, while Orochimaru was several feet distant.

"We should keep on the move," Jiraiya said, "We don't know if Hanzo will let us go if we run into him again."

Another mile or two of walking dragged on. The rain did not change, and the terrain remained the same waste as far as Jiraiya could see. He began to stare at his feet and count his steps as they splashed in the mud to try to break up the tedium. Tsunade grabbing his arm and shook it, making him wake and look ahead.

"Are they children?" Tsunade said.

Three small figures in raincoats walked towards them across the vast, grey waste. Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade stopped and looked until the three ceased their progress quite far away from the sannin. The three hoods fell down and revealed a boy with red hair that covered his eyes, a boy with spiky, orange hair and brown eyes, and a girl with blue hair. They looked to be around ten years old. The boy with the orange hair cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted.

"Are you three the ninja that fought Hanzo?" he said.

Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya.

He said, "Let's kill them now. They're probably just war orphans, and it would be worse to let them live and suffer than to just end it here."

Jiraiya gritted his teeth and shook his head.

"No, we won't kill them, Orochimaru," he said.

He looked back to the boy who had called out to them and yelled back.

"We are," he said, "What do you want from us?"

"We want you to teach us ninjutsu," the boy called out.

Jiraiya did not know how to answer. His instinct was to stay with these children and protect them, because out in the battlefield they did not have a good chance of surviving. He knew it was against his mission. However, he judged it the right thing to do. The smallest feeling that he could not put his finger on told him that time he spent teaching these three would not be wasted. He tugged on Tsunade's sleeve to get her attention.

"You head back to Konoha with Orochimaru. I'm going to stay here with these three," he said.

Orochimaru met Jiraiya's eyes for a moment, and Orochimaru's were widened. Tsunade frowned and looked at Jiraiya for a moment. Then she nodded and walked over to Orochimaru.

"I'll be back soon," Jiraiya said.

Tsunade said, "Try not to be to long, Jiraiya."

Orochimaru and Tsunade began to walk into the rain, past the orphans. Jiraiya made eye contact with the boy who had called out to him. He walked closer to him so he could speak without having to shout over the patter of the rain.

"I'll teach you three. What are your names?" he said.

The one with the orange hair spoke.

"My name is Yahiko. The girl is Konan, and that's Nagato," Yahiko said.

"Well, let's go find some shelter. There's no point in standing out in the rain," Jiraiya said.

* * *

><p>"I trained them for three years, and then I left them on their own with a mission. I asked them to bring peace. Nagato is still following what I taught him in his own way," Jiraiya said.<p>

A few tears had traced their way down Jiraiya's face. Again a silence filled the hospital room. Tsunade, looking at her hand resting on the hospital bed without focusing, broke the silence.

"I didn't think those three would fall so low. Thank you for the information, Jiraiya. We'll let you go now," she said.

She walked into the doorway, but before she had left she put her hand on the doorframe and turned to look back at Naruto.

"We'll have Yamato stay with you when the attack comes. Is that understood?" she said.

Naruto muttered his assent. Kakashi and Yamato followed Tsunade out into the hallway as she disappeared from Jiraiya's view. Jiraiya looked at Sakura, who had sat down with Naruto on the bed, her arm around him and Naruto hanging his head.

"Do you want me to stay here any longer?" she said.

Naruto shook his head.

He said, "Thanks, Sakura, but I'll be ok."

Sakura said, "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow."

She stood up and left the room. Naruto swung his legs back onto his bed and lay on the sheets, looking up at the ceiling with half-closed eyes. When Naruto spoke it was with rising pitch at the end of his sentence and a hushed tone, as if he were asking himself instead of Jiraiya.

"Did you say Yahiko and Nagato were lovers?" he said.

"When I left them they'd been together for a few months," Jiraiya said.

Naruto said, "Why do you think they gave up on bringing peace?"

Jiraiya shook his head.

"I thought that Nagato was the chosen one who was prophesied to bring peace. I see now that he wasn't. He hasn't given up on bringing some kind of peace, but he has given up the faith he had in others. That's why he is trying to use violence to force people to give up fighting. That's why you will be the one to bring peace, Naruto. You have suffered at the hands of those around you for much of your life, but you have the power to change people for the better. You never give up on your faith in people. Nagato was so much like you when he was younger. Do you remember the Gutsy Ninja, my first book?" he said.

"Yeah, I remember," Naruto said.

"Nagato inspired the main character. You were named after that character, Naruto. I wrote the Gutsy Ninja when I was training the orphans in Amegakure," he said, "It's strange how it all turned out."

Jiraiya heard Naruto roll over, his sheets rustling and bed creaking. The light that streamed through the window was beginning to have the red quality of the late evening and cast longer shadows.

"I'm going to try to talk to Nagato," Naruto said, "If he was like me maybe I can get through to him. I don't think we can change anything if we just fight and kill him. He even had a relationship with another guy. I'll try to reach him if he can still be reached. He has to have something from his old self left in him."

Jiraiya smiled. He felt fatigue begin to settle over him, and he closed his eyes.

"You may have to fight to get his attention, but I have faith in you. Get some rest," he said.

The rustling of Naruto's sheets came again and then nothing. Jiraiya let his mind go, and the beginnings of a dream came before his mind's eye. He was tired, so very tired.

* * *

><p>It was the dead of night. In the Deva Path, Nagato withdrew his chakra disruption blade from the jonin's chest. As his other bodies did the same the sole sound was the soft thud of bodies against grass in the middle of the field, and blood began to spill out from each of the fresh wounds. The victims had the Konoha headband tied onto their foreheads, and they had been positioned at a small, wooden reconnaissance post before the paths had arrived.<p>

Nagato returned to his own body. A spacious cocoon constructed out of Konan's paper surrounded him in his walker, Konan, and the two, bound and blindfolded Uchiha brothers. It was pitch black save for a small fire Konan had made.

"I've neutralized their watch post. Remember to keep the blindfolds on our prisoners to prevent them from using genjutsu," Nagato said.

"I'm watching them," Konan said, "Don't over-exert yourself, Nagato."

Nagato closed his eyes and brought his focus on the creatures he had summoned. They had lain quiet in front of the gate of Konoha, hiding in the trees and brush, but the salamander, three-headed dog, and bird now rushed from their cover across the open ground. He heard many shouts and saw two ninja rushing to close the gates.

Now he could put the plan in motion. He returned his mind to the Deva Path, which laid out a scroll with four circles drawn in ink. The other four bodies stood on the circle, and the Deva Path made hand signs. The bodies disappeared in a poof of smoke and were stored in the scroll. Nagato rolled it up and tucked it under the Deva path's arm. Focusing his chakra, he propelled himself upward with shinra tensei, rushing past the trees and treetops until he was soaring in the air. Konoha was up ahead. He repulsed again and launched himself towards its center.


	19. Chapter 19

XIX

Itachi could not see with his own eyes, but the crow he had sent would suffice. He had managed to summon it and send it out while they had slept the prior night. From far above he looked down at Konoha, confined within its circular walls and the rolling, wooded hills, exposed to the light of the half moon. It was burning. Red flames licked up the side of buildings; clouds of dust and smoke shot up in the air; shouts echoed from below. Itachi had to see what fiery doom had fallen on his village. The crow dove down to bring into clear sight the death and devastation below.

* * *

><p>Thee hours ago the sound of explosions had woken Kakashi up in the middle of the night. At fire he had believed it was a part of his dream, but then he heard the knock on his door. He rolled out of bed and walked to the door by what light the moon offered. Sakura stood in the doorway, her clothes thrown on and eyes wide open. She had said only one word that made Kakashi go put on his uniform and start running through the lists of people he would have to check up on.<p>

"Pain..." she said.

Now, three hours later, Kakashi's feet clicked against the tiles of another roof as he made a soft landing. He ran to the other side of the roof, his headband pulled up to expose the red and black sharingan. He heard the clicking of Sakura's feet as he leaped forward again, going in an arc through the air to the next clay tile roof. Every street that he saw every time he jumped was filled with debris and civilians running to the shelters.

"Why are you using your sharingan, Kaka sensei? The moon light's making it easy to see," Sakura said.

"We can't rely on the moon," Kakashi said, "The darkness still makes it harder to see. And the enemy has the rinnegan, a visual dojutsu that enhances his vision. I'll have to keep my eye out for Pain so he doesn't trap us."

They landed on another roof and walked to the edge to look down at the street. The side of the building opposite to them had been torn out, and among the refuse bodies lay. Wounded men cried out for help.

"Sakura," Kakashi said, "Go down and perform first aid. I'll go on to find Pain. Here's a signal flare to call for a backup team."

He unbuttoned a pocket on his flak jacket and drew out a small, candle shaped flare and a box of matches. He handed it to Sakura.

"I'll take care of them and make sure they get back to the hospital," she said.

Kakashi said, "When you get there, help the medical staff. And...keep an eye on Naruto. Knowing him, he'll try to fight."

Sakura closed her eyes and nodded.

"I won't let him leave. Good luck, Kaka sensei," she said.

The fires across the village that Kakashi could see all around kept him from delaying. He nodded to her and began leaping from building to building again. The brilliant light of a flare touched on the edge of his vision from behind. He and Sakura had been attempting to hunt down one of the Pains, as they had spread out across the village. They had been on the trail of the one who had killed the men Sakura was taking care of, and Kakashi scanned the area with his sharingan to look for any disturbance. Snapping wood and screams echoed across the rooftops. His eye locked on the pieces of a building that flew into the air two houses away from his location. He ran and leaped with his eyes always looking above, dodging pieces of timber and concrete as they fell out of the sky.

He reached the edge of a roof that looked down on the former site of the destroyed building. There was a crater below him, and in the middle of it there stood a tall man with spiky, orange hair, his arms hanging at his sides and nails painted purple. He wore an Akatsuki robe that obscured his body in its folds and a hidden rain village headband. Piercings ran down his nose. His spiral, purple eyes rolled up to Kakashi.

"Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja," the Deva Path said, "It's an honor to meet you."

Kakashi looked down in the crater and saw the corpses of leaf ninja, many of them impaled, all of them covered in filth and blood. There could have been thirty of them. Kakashi tightened his fists and lowered his head.

"Nagato…isn't that your name? I'll defeat you here," he said.

From a glance at the crater and remembering the effects of the attack that created it, Kakashi had deduced that this body held the power of gravity.

_I'll have to use his power to my advantage._

"My name's not Nagato," the Deva Path said, tilting its head and sighing, "It's Pain."

The Deva Path held up his hands, and Kakashi felt himself being pulled forward by an invisible force towards the Deva Path. He made hand signs, and a lightning clone appeared in front of him. He put his hands on its back and extended his arms to put space between their torsos. He looked over the shoulder of the clone and saw the Deva Path's eyes widen. A black, metal bar now extended from his palm that he held in front of himself. Kakashi saw the bar was about to impale his clone, and readied to push back. He stopped when he saw that the Deva Path's eyes narrowed, and the force pulling him forward ceased. He felt a repulsive force cause him and his clone to fly backwards into the wall of the crater, burrowing several feet into the dirt. His clone exploded into a shower of sparks that he re-absorbed into his own body.

The Deva Path said, "A lightning clone? Clever. I shouldn't expect less from someone with your reputation."

Kakashi pushed himself out of the dirt and wiped himself off.

"I see you have a recharge time on your jutsu, or you would've pushed me back before I was that close. Five seconds, perhaps?" he said.

The Deva Path gave out a small hmph.

"Perhaps," he said, "but you can't get close enough to injure me, anyways."

A shadow clone of Kakashi jumped out of the ground behind the Deva Path and opened its arms to embrace him. The Deva Path moved his hand and the gravitational force made the clone fly back and disperse.

Kakashi said, "Definitely about five seconds."

He had another clone prepared. Two hands emerged from the ground below the Deva Path and seized a hold of his ankles. Kakashi ran at the Deva Path, the blue sparks of chidori flickering around his hand and illuminating the darkness. He was counting seconds.

One.

Two.

Three.

His attack hit a solid mass, and Kakashi was going to relax. Then he noticed that his target had grown in height, or so it seemed. The body that now stood in front of him was taller and had a thick neck without a chin. It was bald, head crowned with metal studs, and smiling and shaking while the chidori spent itself. Kakashi finished the attack and jumped back.

"You've underestimated me, Kakashi," the Deva Path said.

The Human Path collapsed to the ground and twitched, kicking up a small cloud of dust into the air. The Deva Path was holding a kunai between his right thumb and index fingers, pointed at Kakashi. The kunai disappeared to normal sight, but Kakashi could see that it was headed at him with his sharingan. He tried to dive out of the way, but he found his body could not keep up with the sharingan's visual input. The kunai buried itself into the right side of his torso, and red blood, made black in the moonlight and darkness, gushed and flowed down his body onto the ground. The Deva Path walked and took his time with each footstep. Kakashi felt faint from blood loss and fell to his knees.

"Now you've had a taste of my pain," the Deva Path said, "It's time to say goodbye."

A black rod grew out of the Deva Path's palm, and he stopped a few feet away from Kakashi. Kakashi lifted his eyes enough to see the Deva Path's legs and the hem of his Akatsuki robe. He closed his eyes and let his head hang.

_So this is how it ends._

* * *

><p>Tsunade sat on the flat, wooden roof of the Hokage building and meditated. Sakura and Kakashi had knocked at her bedroom door some hours ago, accompanying a disheveled and half-dressed she heard the news Tsunade immediately began preparation for the battle. Six sat in a circle around her on the roof and helped with the meditation, and the moonlight threw faint shadows away from them. She had summoned Katsuyu, the giant slug, and had her split into enough smaller slugs to attach to each person in the village while keeping one on her shoulder. She was receiving the intelligence that Katsuyu was communicating and issued orders through the slugs to the various groups of ninja fighting throughout the village. She funneled chakra through Katsuyu to heal the wounded until the medical teams could reach them. In truth, the exertion was beginning to make her body hurt.<p>

_I can't worry about myself while the village is under attack._

She pushed her pain into the background. A panorama of information presented itself. There were hundred of casualties. The hospital was overflowing, chaotic, and receiving new patients every few minutes. In the battlefield the ANBU had managed to defeat or contain the summons and were engaging one of the five bodies. Katsuyu's soft voice whispered into her ear.

"Pain severely wounded Kakashi Hatake," Katsuyu said, "Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino arrived in time to keep Pain from killing him. He's in critical condition and headed to the hospital. I've attached to him."

Tsunade gasped and opened her eyes.

"What does Pain want from us? What will destroying the village prove?" she said.

She made her eyes shut again and focused chakra to heal Kakashi. She whispered to Katsuyu.

She said, "Don't let the bodies come together. When they're separate we have a chance. Tell that to all ninja teams."

Katsuyu voiced her assent. Tsunade submerged herself into her meditation and blocked the outside world.

* * *

><p>Naruto, in black pants and a white shirt from the hospital, without his headband, put his hand Sakura's arm and funneled his chakra into her to help her. They bent over a man who the staff had laid down on the blue, tile floor in the Konoha Hospital lobby along with scores more, wrapped in blankets and receiving care as the medical teams could reach them. Naruto had noticed that Sakura was depleting her chakra. She had begun to take larger breaths and move like she had been fighting and fatigued her body. He had been carrying people and giving chakra for her for awhile now.<p>

The man below them had a gauze bandage wrapped around his arm where Sakura had torn his sleeve open, and blood covered his green flack jacket in splotches. She held her glowing hand over the wound. The man's small moans of pain disappeared until he was breathing easily. Sakura's hand stopped glowing; she and Naruto stood up. She cupped her hands around her mouth to call out.

"Medical teams, if anyone you've taken care of can walk, have them go outside. We need more room for the seriously injured," she said.

Naruto looked at the door and opened his eyes wide. It had been propped open with a piece of concrete debris from the battle, and saw Shikamaru, in his bloodied, torn flack jacket and black hair tied up in his usual pony tail, carrying Kakashi on his back. Kakashi was limp. Naruto took care and stepped over the rows of injured to make it to the door. Sakura followed behind him. He called out to Shikamaru.

"What happened to Kaka Sensei?" he said.

"Pain defeated him and was about to kill him. My team arrived in time to save him, but I don't know if he'll make it," he said.

Sakura held out her arms. Her face was downcast.

"He looks unconscious. Give him to me and I'll find a place to take care of him," she said.

Shikamaru turned around and let Kakashi fall backwards into Sakura's arms. Naruto saw that the blood covering Shikamaru had its origin from Kakashi, whose right side was covered in blood from his collar down. Naruto clenched his fists.

"I'm going to kill that bastard. He takes Sasuke, and he comes to the village and attacks everyone else we care about. And it's all because of me. I'm going," he said.

Shikamaru stepped in front of Naruto.

"These people are dying to protect you and Konoha. You can't go get captured after they've sacrificed so much," he said.

Naruto knocked Shikamaru out of the way and ran, knocking Shikamaru off balance as he went out the door, from the electric light into the darkness. Sakura's voice calling made him slow down and stop.

"Naruto, what're you doing? Pain will capture you. He's too powerful," she said.

"I have to stop him, Sakura. He won't stop until he finds me," Naruto said, "I'll get Sasuke back. No more people will have to die and suffer for me. Believe it."

There were a few moments of silence but for the sounds from the hospital and the battle ahead.

Sakura said, "Don't get yourself killed, Naruto. Come back safe."

Naruto smiled and nodded.

"I promise I'll come back," he said.

He discarded the smile he had put on like so much trash, and he excised the last bit of doubt from his consciousness. He ran ahead into the darkness, which surrounded him.

* * *

><p>The Deva Path raised his hand again and sent the leaf ninja who had attacked him flying back into a building. The ninja had the ability to change the size of his body, and he would have been more of a trouble had he had a full team with him. Now he was simply annoying. Nagato knew what he would have to do.<p>

He returned his mind to his body, high up on a mountain over the Leaf Village in Konan's paper cocoon, meditating on his metallic, six-legged walker. It was silent and pitch black. Konan stood next to Sasuke and Itachi, bound with rope and cloth.

"Summon my bodies here. I'm going to use it," Nagato said.

"You've exerted a lot of chakra. You shouldn't use shinra tensei, Nagato," Konan said.

Nagato looked at Konan.

"Summon them," he said.

She hesitated for a moment before she pricked her finger and pressed her hand against the ground. Four of the bodies appeared and collapsed on the ground. Nagato grunted and closed his eyes.

Konan said, "Be careful, Nagato."

* * *

><p>Naruto ran towards a large crater he had seen from far away, near the center of Konoha. He took a turn to his right; at the end of the path there was nothing but the road, cut short and giving an illusion of hanging in midair. He arrived at the edge of the crater and saw his opponent rising into the sky from its center. He could make out the Akatsuki robe and orange hair but nothing else from the distance. Naruto waved and yelled.<p>

"Fight me, Nagato. I'm right here. Come and get me," he said.

The Deva Path continued to rise, becoming an occasional shadow that covered the stars. Naruto saw the shadow cease its ascent. Heaviness came over his body. He heard words come down from the Deva Path in the sky, but the distance muddled them. Something landed on his arm, and Naruto tried to shake it off.

"He's building up chakra for an attack. I'll protect you," Katsuyu said.

Naruto said, "Oh, it's just you, Katsuyu."

The heaviness grew greater. Naruto fell to his knees, and the buildings around him began to collapse the pressure. A spherical light emitted from the figure far above that expanded towards the ground. The crater began to deepen, and Naruto tried to move. He could not under the force of gravity. Katsuyu expanded and surrounded him in her soft, heavy mass. Naruto felt like he was asphyxiating. He saw the force was crushing everything to the ground around him before Katsuyu covered his eyes.


	20. Interlude: And It All Fell Down

And It All Fell Down

Tsunade wiped the dirt off of her cheek and moved her body against a thick mass around her. When she looked up she saw the vast expanse of stars, marred by the vast bodies of brown clouds. She had liked to stare at the stars since she was a child, each bright pinprick against the dark, lying down after training. She and Orochimaru would every night, although they would barely speak to one another. It was a sweet memory despite that. Orochimaru had been good in his own way back then. Then she smelled something on the wind. It was fire, dust, and the iron smell of blood. Now she was afraid. She felt wetness on her outstretched arm and sat up to see the blood that in its darkness neatly blended in with the darkness all around, and the thousand memories of paralysis wandered back to her.

It dripped down her arm, and she could not breathe. Nothing could hurt her like the sight, smell, and feel of blood. She did not look beyond to see the origin of the puddle, while she heard the groans and muffled struggle next to her on the wooden top of the Hokage building. The merciful whiteness of Katsuyu crawled up her arm and over the blood.

"Look out over the village, Tsunade," Katsuyu said, "You have to see."

Tsunade mumbled something, and she may have intended it to be a thank you. She stood up, closing her eyes and stepping to the edge. While she remembered the flash of light and the blast, she did not remember anything else. The pressure had pushed her into consciousness. She felt the edge of the tower with her foot, and hesitancy came over her. She did not want to see.

"What happened, Lady Katsuyu?" she said.

There was no response. She opened her eyes and looked out at the vista below. There was a crater where once there was a village. Along its perfectly sloped walls of brown dirt the occasional beam jutted out. Tsunade heard a moan from in the pit. She had never seen destruction like this in all of her life.

"What has he done?" she said.

She had no doubt about what she was going to do. She tightened her fists and focused her chakra. She would not suffer her village to die while she lived, and she saw a figure in the middle of the crater, which she reasoned was Pain. She had no more faintness and weakness, leaping down to the ground and running towards the crater. Katsuyu was funneling chakra into her to replace what she had spent on her healing jutsu, and Tsunade's strength had almost returned. It would be fine. It had to be fine.


	21. Chapter 21

**Note: This is the first half of this chapter. I'll add the rest by the end of this week. Sorry for a delay, I've been really busy. Enjoy!**

XXI

Sasuke sat next to Itachi in the darkness of the paper cocoon, watching Nagato, bent over in his walker with Konan silently keeping watch over the four bodies. Nagato had been straining, leaning forward, and sweating with his eyes shut for a very long time. Sasuke had been attempting to think of how to escape once he had cleared his mind. Itachi bumped against him and whispered.

He said, "Konoha is gone. He destroyed it."

Sasuke struggled to stand against the ropes and gritted his teeth. He did not believe that Pain had destroyed Konaha, and if Naruto were in the village when it happened he might not have survived. He yelled.

"What the hell did you do, you bastard!" he said.

Nagato gasped for air and leaned back. His bodies began to stand up while Konan walked towards Sasuke. He pulled the rope around his hand loose and prepared to make a hand sign, but Konan leaped forward and kicked him in the side, making him collapse on the ground. He could not believe how weak he felt from his confinement. He tried to stand.

Nagato said, "Don't be so eager. We have need of you."

Sasuke grunted and felt a pair of cold hands grab his ankles. He tried to claw his free hand into the dirt to stop his progress. Pain could not use him to deceive Naruto. He had to break free.

"I'll send them with the four paths to back up the Deva Path. I've sighted the jinchuuriki," Nagato said.

Sasuke saw Konan dragging Itachi closer to Nagato. As the Naraka Path fixed the rope around his hands again he yelled once more.

"What are you doing with him?" he said.

The Naraka Path threw Sasuke over his shoulder. Sasuke heard Nagato sigh, and the inherent disinterest of the sigh made him even angrier.

"If you try to escape," Nagato said, "we'll kill him."

Nagato grew silent. The footsteps of the corpse below him made Sasuke bounce with them, and he turned to see the other three bodies. While he could not get rid of his anger, he had to control himself if he was to anything constructive. He took a breath and tried to think. If someone else could free him he could come back for Itachi.

* * *

><p>Naruto slid down the side of the pit and stood up. The sun began to rise up in the west, and its warm light gave soft, pink illumination to the desolation. In front of him the Deva Path stood, having thrown his headband and Akatsuki robe to the side and wearing black pants and a shirt. His eyes were shut as Naruto began to run, forming a rasengan in his right hand and focusing chakra. He wanted to kill the bastard right there.<p>

"Why did you kill them? Why did you destroy the village?" Naruto said.

He was a few feet away from the Deva Path when the Deva Path's eyes opened. Naruto felt himself get lost in the purple spirals for a moment before the force of the Deva Path's jutsu launched him backwards. As he hit the ground and rolled he focused his chakra again into his hand, and he stood up, preparing another rasengan. He could not fail to defeat Pain here, whatever it took. The Deva Path took a step towards Naruto.

"We have the same sensei, so maybe I can make you understand," he said.

Naruto ran towards the Deva Path with the blue light of a rasengan showing in his hand and pushing at the edge of his vision

"I don't want to understand anything you say," he said.

The Deva Path caught Naruto's eye again. Naruto felt drawn into the rinnegan once more, centered in the middle of that pale, implacable face studded with metal. Then the force of the jutsu struck him again, and the rasengan dissipated. The force of the blow made him gasp for air as he crashed to the ground.

"Jiraiya taught you to look for peace, didn't he?" the Deva Path said.

Naruto stood up on all fours and gritted his teeth. He wanted Pain to answer his question.

"Why the fuck does it matter? You can't tell me you killed so many people for peace," he said, "It's not peace when there isn't anyone left. Believe it. You can't just kill everybody and act like it was right."

Naruto struggled to stand, but he felt a sharp pain in his hand. He looked and saw that a black, metal rod had pierced through his right hand and into the dirt. While it hurt, it also began to draw out some of his chakra. He grabbed at it with his free hand to try to pull free, but the Deva Path stomped on his other hand.

The Deva Path said, "People can never understand each other, really. And Jiraiya tried to teach me they do, as I'm sure he taught to you. I know better. People fight each other in endless wars for petty gain until they are sick of it, but as soon as they're a few years away they fight again. The only way to stop the fighting is to steep the whole world in blood when it forgets what it learned in the last war. Don't worry, Naruto; you will die, but your power will save many others."

Naruto closed his eyes. He heard Kyuubi whispering at the edge of his consciousness, and it tempted him. That had been his plan. So he let the heat of the fox begin to fill him up, with the orange chakra beginning to bubble out, and looked up at the Deva Path.

"I won't let you do it," he said, "It's not right."

The Deva Path smirked.

"You've seen the violence of being a ninja yourself and been used to perpetuate it. Tell me, what would you do to stop war?" he said.

Naruto thought for a few moments. He did not have an answer. But he did not doubt that he had to fight Pain and save the rest of the village, and that was good enough for him. Naruto did not ever adapt to the feel of the orange chakra burning at his skin, but he could tolerate it for this. He moved his hand around under the Deva Path's foot to see if he could gain traction when the Deva Path suddenly fell forward. Naruto took the chance to pull the chakra rod out of his hand and roll away, seeing Tsunade standing where the Deva Path had stood.

"Naruto, don't use Kyuubi. I'll handle Pain," she said.

Naruto stood and forced back the chakra with a few deep breaths. He wanted to help Tsunade.

"Let me help you fight," he said.

Tsunade stepped in front of him, kicking up some dust.

"Naruto, he came to capture you. Run away and help the survivors," she said.

Naruto backed away from Tsunade slowly, and he stared at the Deva Path. He had no intention of running away.

"I'm staying right here," he said.

The Deva Path lifted his hand towards Tsunade, and Naruto dropped to the ground to avoid the inevitable force. The blast pushed him onto his side and knocked the air out of him. When he looked up he saw Tsunade standing and walking slowly towards Pain. The Deva Path's eyes widened.

"I see you're focusing your chakra into your feet," the Deva Path said.

He drew a chakra rod out of his hand and prepared it for Tsunade. She yelled at him and walked forward.

"You'll have to do better than that to kill the Hokage of Konoha. You've destroyed my home, and now I'll kill you with my own two hands," she said.


	22. Chapter 22

XXII

Thee three ninja were deep in the center of the crater that had been Konoha, under the dim, pink light of dawn. The Deva Path stood in its sleeveless black shirt and pants, Naruto wore his tattered, orange jumpsuit, and Tsunade wore her long green jacket over her white underclothes. Nagato looked at Tsunade through Yahiko's eyes. Naruto stood behind her and breathed heavily, looking at Nagato. Nagato's other bodies had almost arrived at the lip of the crater, and he knew that he could hold them off with the Deva Path. He would let them make the first move and watch.

Tsunade charged at the Deva Path, and he saw her chakra concentrate in her fists. He could not afford to let her touch him, so he held up his hand and launched a chakra rod at her. She knocked away the black metal. Nagato pushed himself into the air with Edo Tensei and flew back to the lip of the crater. The other bodies had arrived. The imposing bodies stood for a moment at the edge above, their Akatsuki robes flapping. The six-armed Asura Path and the longhaired Human Path leaped down into the pit to confront Tsunade. The Naraka Path stood at the edge with Sasuke over his shoulder, and Naruto looked up at him. Nagato did not like using such backhanded methods, but he had to do what he had to do.

Naruto said, "Give back Sasuke!"

The Asura Path leaned forward, the top of its bald, studded head sliding open with a sickening slurping noise to reveal a laser that it aimed down at Tsunade. The Deva Path called back.

"Come and get him," he said.

Through the Human Path Nagato saw Tsunade running at the Asura Path, still charging its weapon. He engaged her with the Human Path while making the Naraka Path throw Sasuke on the ground and draw a chakra rod. He saw Naruto begin to run up the crater's edge with the Deva Path's eyes. It was all going as planned. He had the Preta Path run down towards Naruto. Naruto tried to punch the Preta Path, but the Preta Path caught his arm in mid-swing and began to absorb his chakra, wrapping his other arm around Naruto. From this close Nagato could see that the boy looked like Yahiko, with his short, spiky hair and narrow face. It was a pity to have to kill him.

Naruto said, "What are you doing to my chakra?"

"You couldn't save him," the Preta Path said, "It's a shame. You never got a chance to answer my question, but now you should just sleep. You can't fight without chakra."

Nagato lost his vision through the Asura Path, and the Human Path could no longer move. He saw with its eyes the shattered pieces of the Asura Path scattered on the ground and Tsunade running towards the Preta Path and Naruto.

"Hold on, Naruto!" she said.

The Deva Path took the Naraka Path's spot standing over Sasuke as the Naraka Path leaped down the side of the crater. Nagato could not let Tsunade get to Naruto when he was this close to capture. The Preta Path threw Naruto up to the Naraka Path, which took tight hold of him, and turned to prepare for Tsunade. Nagato used the Deva Path's vision to give the Preta Path the best trajectory to jump. The Preta Path leaped and watched Tsunade make a fist as she ran. He caught the fist and absorbed all the chakra of the attack. She tried to punch him with her free hand, but the Preta Path caught it too. Nagato drew as much chakra out of Tsunade as he could, making her fall to her knees. He would finish her here and now.

Tsunade said, "Damn it, Pain."

The Preta Path released one of her hands and projected a chakra receiver rod from his palm. Nagato took care to aim for her heart when he drew the cold arm back and launched it forward into her chest. Tsunade's eyes opened up, and she coughed blood. Nagato withdrew the blade and let her fall back on the ground. He returned a little to his own body, far away in the darkness, and spoke in a hushed tone.

"Konan, mission accomplished," he said.

Then something surprised him. He felt heat begin to build up under the Naraka path and saw with its eyes a red and powerful aura appearing around Naruto. The heat began to burn away at his robe. He had pushed the jinchuuriki too far.

Naruto said, "I'm going to tear you to pieces."

Four chakra tails sprung out of Naruto and surrounded the Naraka Path. Nagato tried to leap back, but the tails wrapped around it and seared into its skin. They contracted and crushed it. A blast of chakra blew the body away, and the Preta Path jumped over Naruto to the Deva Path, pulled by the Deva Path's jutsu. Nagato had hoped to avoid this, but he had no choice but to use raw power to fight. Naruto's skin had peeled away and left pulsing layers of red chakra, and fox ears crowned his head. The chakra was immense, but as long as he had the Preta Path to absorb the attacks Nagato was confident.

The Deva Path said, "You're just the fox, now. Bargaining is useless. Now you will feel my pain."

He had no need for the hostage. He extended a chakra rod from his arm and stabbed it down in Sasuke's chest; Sasuke squirmed a little and stopped moving. The possessed Naruto launched balls of chakra from his chakra shroud that flew at the Paths, but the Preta Path absorbed them with his palms. Then the fox was in front of the Preta Path in an instant, so Nagato began to absorb the chakra shroud. Naruto grabbed the Path's legs and tore him in half, body parts and bloody gore falling down the slope of the crater. The Deva Path held his hands forward and with a strong Shinra Tensei forced the possessed boy back off the edge. He would have to level the playing field. The Deva Path began to weave hand signs, and Nagato watched Naruto crawling back out of the ground through the eyes of the shattered Human Path. Naruto now had six tails. A skeleton had formed around his chakra shroud, and Nagato realized that killing Sasuke had caused this.

The Deva Path called out, "Did I cause you pain?"

Nagato breathed a sigh of relief as water began to pour out of all sides of the vast crater and push Naruto down. The water turned the depression into a lake within seconds, and the Deva Path leaped down to stand on the water. He could feel in the water where the nine-tails' chakra was moving around beneath him. He sensed a part of the shroud extend towards his feet and jumped up in the air. The red chakra burst out of the water in the form of a burning claw rushing towards him. He held his hands below him and released a Shinra Tensei, which launched the Path higher into the air and repelled the shroud. He would wait for Naruto to come out.

The bony monster shot out of the water up into the air. Nagato used Bansho Tenin to draw Naruto closer and turned himself around to fall facedown. He connected a punch with the creatures face and sent it back down into the water below. Nagato continued to fall, feeling Yahiko's hair flying around his face in the wind, and drew a chakra disruption blade to plant into the jinchuuriki on the surface of the water. He felt himself synchronize completely with the body's movements and perception. Without distractions he could use the Deva Path at its most powerful.

Naruto, lying belly up on the surface of the water, turned his open mouth towards the Deva Path and began to accumulate chakra from around him into a black ball at the center of his mouth. Nagato saw how much chakra was gathering below and quickly threw the chakra blade to the side, weaving hand signs as he dived. Mud from the bottom of the water reached up and pulled Naruto below the waves. Nagato gravitated far away from the spot and landed gently on the surface of the water. He felt the chakra release and burst from its confinement, rushing outward in all directions. He turned and glided on the water as fast as he could to get away from the blast, which had reached the surface of the water and begun to turn the whole lake into steam. Nagato had never confronted such power before. He made it to the edge and leaped out onto the dry land, turning back to see the nine-tails emerge from the pit behind him. He began to move his hands to weave signs, but Naruto hit him in the chest and sent him flying back hundreds of feet across a grassy plain and through several trees. Nagato made the body stand. He would have to use Chibaku Tensei. He could not avoid it any longer. He turned and began to glide above the ground to get closer to the location of his own body so that he could channel the chakra he would need. There was no other way he could defeat the raw power of the nine-tails without killing Naruto. He turned to see Naruto flying after him, destroying any tree, rock, or building preventing him from reaching his prey.

* * *

><p>Sakura pushed the slab of concrete that was over her to the side. She looked down to see her scratched up legs and the shattered wood, concrete, and dirt from the explosion covering much of her body. Katsuyu's small, pink form squeezed out of the dirt and covered Sakura's leg, beginning to heal the few scratches and bruises.<p>

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Katsuyu said.

"I'm alright," Sakura said, "What happened to the village?"

Katsuyu paused for a moment. Sakura did not think she could bear the silence.

Katsuyu said, "Pain destroyed it all and is fighting Naruto now. He killed Lady Tsunade. I've tried to save who I could, but few made it."

Sakura stood up and looked around. Tsunade could not be dead, and Konoha could not be gone. She must have been tired and fallen asleep while working. It was all a dream. She closed her eyes and saw everyone she knew, smiling, living, talking to her, but then they vanished away in her mind's eye. She felt a sharp pain in her knees as she fell, knowing blood must be flowing out of the scrapes. While the pain subsided, a thought came upon her, an epiphany she regretted as soon as it was obvious to her. She stood over the hospital. All of her patients were dead below her. Sakura's eyes opened, and she jumped down from the rubble to find solid ground to stand on. She found a patch amid all of the destruction and shut her eyes again, speaking with a hushed and ragged tone.

"Lady Katsuyu," she said, "Did anyone in the hospital survive?"

There was more silence.

Sakura said, "Then Jiraiya and Shikamaru are dead too."

Sakura let those words sink into the soundless vacuum around her, but she restrained herself from crying. There was one thing for her to do. She opened her blue eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Lady Katsuyu, come with me," she said, "I'm going to help Naruto."

Katsuyu moved among the rubble towards Sakura.

Katsuyu said, "But Naruto is showing six tails after seeing Pain kill Sasuke. I don't know what we can do, Sakura."

Sakura picked up Katsuyu from the ground and let her crawl down her arm and hide in her shirt, leaving a slimy trail up her arm.

"Go to Sasuke if a part of you is still there. If he's alive we can get him to talk to Naruto," she said, "Naruto is my closest friend and a fellow ninja of Konoha. I won't let him down. I won't let Lady Tsunade down."

Sakura turned towards where Konoha had been. She did not know what to expect, but she could not afford to worry. She ran towards the village center, pink hair marking her out as the sole movement in the well-lit and grey desolation.

* * *

><p>Sasuke lay in his tattered and bloody white shirt and dark green pants at the edge of the cliff. He opened his eyes and tried to pull his hands free from the rope behind him. He could feel blood flowing out of him, but he knew Pain had missed his vital point while focusing on fighting Naruto. Still, he had to get free and bind the wound before he lost consciousness from blood loss. He shook his head to clear his black hair out of his eyes and see, the three red teardrops of the sharingan appearing against the darkness of his eyes. When he looked for any movement he saw nothing but the vast crater and the destroyed buildings beyond it, pressed up against the mountains and the wall of Konoha. He knew that Pain could capture Naruto, despite Naruto's power, and he could not let that happen.<p>

Then he heard footsteps. He tried to turn his body, but he could not when pain coursed through him. A hand untied his bonds. Now Sasuke saw Sakura's face above him, out of the corner of his eye.

"Hold still. You shouldn't move until I heal you," Sakura said.

Sasuke said, "Naruto lost it when Pain killed Tsunade, but I don't know if he can change back after thinking I'm dead. We have to find them."

He tried to push himself up with one of his free hands, but he collapsed when the pain returned. Sakura cut the bonds around his ankles then dropped to her knees, putting her hands on Sasuke's bloody chest. Her hands glowed green, Sasuke feeling the pain dissipate.

"I want to go too, but we have to wait here for a minute so I can heal you. It won't be long," she said.

Sasuke said, "We don't have a lot of time. In the state Naruto is in it won't be hard for Pain to trick him and capture him."

He saw Sakura raise her finger to her lips.

She said, "Just relax for a minute. It won't take long."

Sasuke closed his eyes and deactivated his sharingan. He knew that she was right, but he did not want to admit it. And, although he felt bad thinking it, he did not know whether he wanted to talk to her. He had not talked to her by himself since he had come back to Konoha, his and her past being awkward despite her acceptance of him and Naruto being together. However, he was comfortable in silence, and he would wait for her to speak. He at least knew that they both wanted to save Naruto.

She said, "It must hurt a lot. I mean, I know it hurts me a lot as his friend, but seeing Naruto like that must hurt you a lot."

Sasuke nodded as much as he could.

He said, "Yeah."

"I know that I was weird about you and Naruto at first and that you and me have a lot of things that went wrong between us, but I've let it go. Your being with Naruto has changed you so much for the better. But now we have to save him, and he's the only hope for our village after what Pain did. You're still my friend and teammate, Sasuke, whatever happened to us. We can do this together," she said, lifting her hand off of Sasuke's chest, the green glow dissipating.

Sasuke did not know what to say for a moment. He felt his energy return and the pain leave and pushed himself up into a crouching position, shaking a little from the weakness in his legs. Sakura grabbed his arm and helped him to stand up, and Sasuke had his answer, so he looked into her eyes and spoke.

"All the years I was gone, I didn't ever forget you, Sakura. You've changed a lot, too," he said, "You're probably the strongest person I know, and I'm ashamed of what I put you through without thinking. When we get there you'll have to fight Pain and the fox while I try to talk to Naruto. But don't worry, though, I trust you. Let's go. My brother will distract Pain."

Sakura said, "Your brother? Do you mean Itachi is – "

Sasuke reactivated his sharingan and began to run after the trail of devastation in front of him and Sakura, breaking free from her grip and cutting her off. In the far distance he could hear resounding explosions and yells, and nearer to him he heard Sakura's footsteps behind. He hoped he could get there in time.


	23. Chapter 23

XXIII

Naruto saw the world through a bloody haze covering the clear light of the morning. His body, enveloped in the pain and the fire of Kyuubi's red chakra, flew across forests, plains, and canyons looking for what had done it so much harm. Pain was a black and orange figure far in the distance, always staying just ahead. Naruto remembered that he wanted to go back to the village to see if Sasuke was all right, but the monolithic, iron bars inside of his own mind confronted him and extinguished the thought. Naruto stood in front of the darkness behind the bars in ankle-deep water, the steel walls stretching upwards into the darkness above.

He said, "Hey, Kyuubi, let me go back to see if Sasuke is ok."

Two red eyes opened in the darkness ahead. Kyuubi's laugh began quietly and grew until it echoed throughout the gloomy chamber, and the waters below Naruto began to bubble and envelop him.

Kyuubi said, "First you must get your vengeance for Sasuke's death. I'll take your vengeance for you. Just watch."

Naruto saw with his own eyes again, the intense heat returning and his body in flames. He could not control it, but he did not want to. Intense hate filled him as he remembered Sasuke and Tsunade's death. He knew he would have to resort to Kyuubi's power. He did not think so many would have to die first, though. He was ready to let the fox do its work. He stopped and watched as hands, almost claws, formed from the chakra shroud around him and then extended from the orange shroud into the sky towards Pain. He levitated into the air and shot backwards over the plain, falling off of a cliff into a forest down below. The hands grabbed the edge of the cliff and destroyed it, and a landslide began as Naruto sped towards the edge to find his prey. He relished the power over Pain, even if it was not his own.

The earth that Naruto had knocked down began to float up into the sky, and the ground beneath him did the same. Naruto looked up and saw the dirt, rock, and trees from below forming a sphere in the sky. He ran faster and leaped down when the ground beneath cracked and separated until he reached the edge of the cliff and saw Pain standing on top of a tall tree as the terrain around him flew up into the sky. He held his arms wide and looked towards the ball of debris, as if worshiping the sky above. With every fiber of his being, Naruto wanted to kill him; a red beam of focused chakra emerged from his mouth and flew towards Pain, who moved his hand and blocked the attack with a black chakra rod. Naruto ran towards him, firing chakra from his shroud at Pain as he went.

Then the ground beneath him began to move, and he tried to leap away. All around him the ground rose more quickly upwards. The Kyuubi made him look down at Pain again, who looked back with the blank expression he always wore. Pain shouted to him.

"Tell me, Naruto, do you hate me? Do you still think people can really understand each other? What's your answer?" he said.

Naruto roared and looked up to the sphere of earth that was blocking out the sun. He fired blasts of energy at it, but he could not break it. He hit the surface. The incoming debris soon buried him, and in the darkness he felt his mind beginning to clear and the heat to dissipate. Suddenly he stood in front of the Kyuubi's cage again. The seal was enticing him to pull it down while Kyuubi growled inside. A rush of the bubbling water around Naruto picked him up to the level of the seal, and he began to pull it off of the cage.

Kyuubi said, "I'll get your vengeance, Naruto."

Naruto could not think as his mind clouded again, and crimson, blood red filled his irises, removing the light blue. The offer sounded like sweet release.

* * *

><p>"What the hell is that?" Sasuke said.<p>

He and Sakura arrived at the edge of a broken cliff and looked up at the ball of matter that had formed over their heads. Sasuke thought Naruto must be inside it. With his sharingan he could see Pain, standing on a tall tree and watching the scene up above, and he knew what had happened.

"That Pain…he has the ability to control forces of attraction. He put Naruto in…that," he said.

Sakura looked up at the orb.

She said, "If we distract Pain we might be able to break it open. It must take a huge amount of chakra and focus to keep that thing up in the sky."

Katsuyu crawled up onto Sakura's shoulder out of her shirt.

"It takes Pain time to recover when he uses that body's jutsu. You may have a window to get at him if you hurry," she said.

Sasuke thought for a few seconds, staring at the shattered landscape around the solitary tree in the valley below them. He could deal with Naruto using sharingan and by talking to him, so getting rid of Pain was the priority for now. He closed his eyes and nodded, his long, black hair swaying as he did.

"We have to distract Pain to get close to Naruto. Let's go while we still have time," he said.

Katsuyu crawled back into Sakura's shirt, and Sakura nodded.

She said, "I don't know who else survived Pain's attack, but we may be some of the last ninja left from Konoha. We have to save Naruto, now."

Sasuke focused his chakra in his feet and began to run, hearing Sakura as she ran right beside him. He saw Pain looking at them from the tree, but he did not move. Sasuke guessed he could not without breaking the jutsu. It struck him as ironic, not long ago Naruto and Sakura had saved him from an awful fate with Orochimaru. Now he and Sakura were doing the same for Naruto. He did not follow the train of thought far, as he and Sakura were very close to the tree. Then a loud roar and scattering of rock forced Sasuke and Sakura to split up and dodge the debris that fell from above. Sasuke looked straight up at the sphere.

A figure had emerged from the rock and made it shatter. It was the body of a giant fox, but it had no skin, only exposed muscles and sinews and two red, pulsing eyes. Eight tails surrounded its half-buried body. It caused Sasuke to feel something he rarely did; Sasuke's cool exterior broke, and he felt fear. What had his Naruto become? A massive piece of stone fell towards him and Sakura. They did not have the time to get out of the way, but Sakura raised her hands nonetheless.

She said, "I'll try to break it open!"

Sasuke fell to his knees. Naruto was about to transform into the Kyuubi and kill all of them. He could not believe he had failed Naruto. The shadow grew darker and darker around him until he knew the rock was about to crush him, but then it stopped. He turned to see Sakura bracing against it with both hands and gritting her teeth.

"I can't hold it for much longer," she said.

Sasuke shook himself to his senses and ran to her, placing his hand on her and feeding her chakra, but it was a losing battle. Sakura crouched lower and lower, Lady Katsuyu even beginning to funnel chakra to her. Sasuke closed his eyes while waiting for it to crush them. He gasped when suddenly the shadow disappeared, he and Sakura standing in broad daylight again. He opened his eyes and saw Pain standing next to them and raising his hands to the sky. Sasuke and Sakura tried to run away, but Pain called out to them.

He said, "Kyuubi will kill all of us if we don't work together. I'm almost out of chakra, and your sharingan might be the only thing that can put Naruto back in control of his body."

Sasuke turned towards Pain and tightened his fists. He could not believe this asshole was trying to make a deal with them.

"You destroyed my village and everyone in it. You made the person I love turn into a monster that'll kill me as soon as he gets down here. You and the Akatsuki ruined everything I ever cared about after I took so long to find peace with myself. Do you think I'm a fucking idiot? I'll just leave you here to die. Kyuubi is angry at you, not me," he said.

Pain spoke again, raising his hands to create a field to protect them from more falling debris.

"Don't let your emotions get in the way. Only I have the power to get you close to him, and only you have the power to control him. If you try to run he'll still kill you, and this body's death won't matter to me. That isn't your friend anymore, he's the Kyuubi," he said, "Besides, I have your brother."

Sasuke looked down at the ground and thought. He knew that Pain was right about what they would have to do to get Naruto. Sakura looked down at him and sighed.

She said, "We'll have to help him fight Naruto. We can deal with him when we've stopped this rampage."

Sasuke nodded his assent.

He said, "Bring him down so we can face him."

Pain nodded and reached up. Sasuke saw the sphere above immediately come to pieces and start falling to the ground around them, the fox caught up in the midst of the huge chunks of earth. Pain stood next to them and raised his hands up, and, in an invisible sphere around them, the debris stopped.

Pain said, "I don't have much chakra left to perform large scale attacks. I'll give you the best opening I can."

Sasuke just grunted in agreement and made sure to keep his sharingan active. He had to save Naruto, and he cleared his head by reminding himself of that priority. The debris around them disintegrated into dust, a bright light making the Sakura and Sasuke close their eyes while Pain kept his open. When Sasuke could see again they were in the middle of the wasted valley; the skinless Kyuubi stared at them, snarling.

Sakura said, "Pain, use your powers to draw him closer. If I focus my strength we can restrain him with our combined powers and give Sasuke a chance."

Pain raised his hands, and the Kyuubi drew closer, clawing at the ground to try to stop. The fox was only a few feet away and opening its mouth to charge its chakra blast. Sasuke noticed Pain was straining to keep it up.

Sasuke said, "Let's go, Sakura!"

They ran around Pain towards the Kyuubi, and Sasuke focused his chakra in his sharingan. This would be far more difficult than it had been the last time to fight the Kyuubi inside of Naruto, since it had unleashed so much of his powers. Sakura leaped into the air and landed on the Kyuubi's snout with her full strength, forcing its mouth shut. Sasuke ran to its eye and looked into it. His world melted away, and he entered the dark chamber of Naruto's mind. The bubbling, orange water below held up Naruto. He was peeling off the paper seal that adhered to the lock of the fox's cage. Sasuke realized this was his only chance to save him, and his shout made Naruto turn and look back at him.

"Naruto, stop!" he said, "I'm alive! We can help you!"

He looked into the cage at the malevolent red eyes and focused all of his chakra. The evil coming out of that monster almost infected him, but soon the shape of the sharingan appeared in its eyes. He had subdued it for a time. He ran forward and jumped into the air, tackling Naruto off of the water pedestal. He saw Naruto's eyes were red like Kyuubi's pupils as they crashed into the water below.

"Wake up!" he said.

Naruto said, "Sasuke…"

Kyuubi growled in the cage, but Sasuke ignored him. The bubbles and the water began to recede. Naruto's eyes returned to their shocking blue. They both stood up shakily in the water, Sasuke feeling more peace than he had for a weeks. Naruto smiled a little and looked in Sasuke's eyes, and Sasuke ran his hand through the light blond hair.

Naruto said, "I'm sorry…I thought you were dead."

Sasuke shook his head and smirked.

"No, you idiot," he said, "I'm alive. I came to wake you up. Come back to us, we still have to finish the fight."

Naruto nodded, and Sasuke found himself back in the real world, cradling Naruto, unconscious on the ground, as Pain and Sakura looked on. Pain stepped forward with his hand in a claw shape, flames coming from each tip.

"Don't lose your focus, Uchiha," he said, "I'm going to fix the seal so he won't revert as soon as you look away. It's nearly been destroyed."

Sasuke lifted up Naruto's shirt, exposing the spiral seal below but keeping his eyes in Naruto's. Sasuke had not looked at it in a long time, and it was almost a nice feature to him that he wished he could see now. He leaned back as Pain put his fingers down and locked the seal again. It was about time to end this arrangement with Pain. Sasuke nodded to Sakura, who walked up behind Pain.

Pain said, "You think I'm not ready for this? Our alliance is over. You two need to die to finish this operation."

He reached down and grabbed Naruto, his other hand pointing at the ground. Sasuke and Sakura flew many feet away from the two. Sasuke saw the chakra rod aimed for him that flew through the air and managed to dodge it while Sakura anchored herself to the ground with chakra in her feet. Then something out of the blue surprised Sasuke. Naruto disappeared from next to Pain in a poof, replaced by a rock, and Pain fell forward, only catching himself right before he hit the ground. A kunai was lodged in his back, and Naruto stood behind him, leaning on one knee. Sasuke knew there was not a second to lose. He and Sakura ran to Pain and jumped on his arms to hold them down to the ground to prevent him from using jutsu; Pain struggled as hard as he could, flailing against the ground. Sasuke picked up the chakra rod and broke it in half, handing part of it to Sakura. They stabbed Pain's hands to the ground to pin him down.

Naruto said, "I want to talk to the real you. I have my answer."

The Deva Path was silent. Sasuke went over to Naruto and hugged him, because he could not hold it in any longer. Naruto hugged back and kept his gaze on the body. Finally it began to speak.

"You can come, but Itachi is still my hostage and at risk. I'm eager to hear your answer," it said.

The head fell forward, and the Deva Path went limp. Sasuke and Naruto stood up. Sasuke did not trust the body to remain and did not want it to attack them later.

He said, "Help me remove these metal rods. I think it's how Pain controls them."

Naruto nodded wearily and fell to the ground. Sakura walked around Pain and bent over to talk to and heal them, so Sasuke went to the work of removing the metal bars from all over the body. He heard Sakura asking Naruto how he was and taking care of him. Sasuke smirked, because he wished he were the one with the healing jutsu for once. When he had removed all of the chakra receivers and thrown them on the ground he stood up.

He said, "Let's go talk to him. His real name is Nagato, I think. And don't worry about Itachi, he has a plan for this."

Naruto laughed.

"You're still so serious Sasuke. I missed how serious you were. Believe it," he said, "I have to tell you about what's happened at the village with everybody since you've been gone."

Sakura stood up with Naruto's arm over her shoulder. Sasuke walked over and braced the other arm, somberly looking at the ground. He knew Naruto must not remember the village was gone. Sakura spoke for him.

"Naruto," She said, "Pain destroyed Konoha…we're not sure anyone besides us survived."

Naruto looked to Sasuke and opened his eyes wide. Sasuke looked back, and Naruto's expression relaxed into a more somber one like the other two as he turned to stare off into the distance. Sasuke kissed him on the cheek and spoke to him softly, hoping it would help

"I love you, Naruto. We can't let it get us down right now, so let's focus on what's ahead," he said, "I know where Nagato is. Let's go."

The three walked across the trackless waste towards a tall, wooded hill nearby, leaving behind the body of Yahiko in the midst of the destruction.


	24. Chapter 24

XXIV

Itachi could not see, but he heard more acutely for it. While Nagato and Konan had held him captive he had been focusing on his hearing to develop it as a way to make up for lacking sight. Nagato and Konan were muttering not far away, and Itachi distinguished the voices easily.

Konan said, "Nagato, we should go. You're low on chakra, and I can't hold them off alone."

"Since we have a hostage we can negotiate. With you backing me up, I'll still have the chakra to defeat them if they attack," Nagato said, "And besides, the Kyuubi won't want to fight. He wants to talk. I want to give him a chance before we capture him."

Itachi did not hear them say anything more. Small rustling told of the uncomfortable shifting of weight and bodies. He had not known Pain and Konan when he was in the Akatsuki, but after listening to them for so long he knew that Nagato dominated in their relationship, as he dominated the Akatsuki. Itachi judged it was time to break the silence, as he had planned to when his brother approached, and began to feel out how much chakra was in his body. However, he thought about what Nagato said, and his mind left the jutsu he had planned to use. Naruto was going to talk to Nagato. He had talked to Sasuke and changed him, so if Naruto spoke to Nagato he might be able to change him for the better. Itachi shelved the plan he had prepared. He could put it into action if the situation demanded it. He had faith in Naruto.

* * *

><p>Anger twisted Naruto's insides and colored the world red. He looked straight ahead as he walked with his arms over Sakura and Sasuke, walking up a hill to where Sasuke had said Pain was hiding, and into his eyes, cool and blue as the morning sky above, he noticed Sasuke's dark eyes looking. He did not want to talk. He wanted to prepare himself for what was to come at the summit of the hill. Jiraiya had taught him that he could bring peace to everyone in the ninja world, but the man he was about to meet had killed that same teacher in cold blood, along with most of the people of Konoha. While he knew that killing would not bring the peace he looked for, Naruto did not know if he could forgive when time came. That was the reason he needed to talk, so he could test himself. He looked on ahead as Sakura began to speak.<p>

"Naruto, are you sure we should trust him? He could kill us while our guard is down," she said.

Sasuke nodded and looked to the side at Naruto.

He said, "We might want to wait and get ready for that. We can't resist when we've used up this much chakra."

Naruto would have accepted the rationality his companions were offering, but he knew that would not change the anger he felt. He did not want to fight. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked ahead, shouting. Sasuke and Sakura stopped and stared at him.

"I won't stop until I've talked to this guy, whoever he is! Believe it," he said, "I'm going to go in by myself. I have to do this. I have to talk to Pain."

Naruto closed his eyes and started straining on his own legs, dragging the other two forward. He felt Sakura pull on his arm and noticed Sasuke's lack of resistance.

"Naruto, you can't go in by yourself," she said, "He came here for you, and we can't let him capture you."

Naruto fell to his knees, and Sasuke and Sakura kneeled down on either side of him. Naruto shook his head when he realized Sakura did not understand.

"Jiraiya was Pain's sensei too," he said, "I have to talk to him to know how he could've turned out like…this."

He turned his head back to Konoha the slightest distance to indicate the wreckage that had once been their home.

"I hate him, but I'm sick of fighting. I just want to have peace, like Jiraiya sensei taught me," he said.

Sasuke reached under his arm and helped him up, making Naruto lean against his side in a way he had not for weeks. He had missed Sasuke a lot, and lying in a hospital bed with days on end and thinking about what he could be doing to bring him back had made him more restless than he usually was when confined to a bed. He did not know whether to expect support or a stern voice. Instead he locked eyes with Sasuke, whose face had no expression. Then nodded slowly to Naruto, his lips turning up into a slight smile.

He said, "We're sick of the fighting too. I trust you."

He hugged Naruto, and the surprising feeling of another hug around the two of them from behind hit him. He could see Sakura's arms around them.

She said, "Naruto, just be safe. I…I trust you too. Do anything stupid and I'll beat you to a pulp when you get back."

Naruto had not been together with his teammates for a long time, he realized. They had not had a moment this tender among the three of them before, either. His natural enthusiasm returned, and he felt the roaring tempest within him still into a much calmer sea. The two people, a friend and a friend who had grown into a lot more, broke their hugs and put their arms under his again. Naruto smiled and furrowed his eyebrows into the face he wore when he was charging at a challenge head on. He would talk to Pain and put an end to everything because these two believed in him, and that bond made him hunger for peace all the more. They began to walk again until they reached a large tree at the summit, which Naruto could see was made up of paper. Sasuke and Sakura slowly removed their arms from under his, allowing Naruto time to get his balance. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand and looked into his eyes, then his eyelids shut over the dark, inscrutable eyes. Sasuke leaned forward and kissed Naruto on the lips. He pulled back and let go of Naruto's hand.

He said quietly, "I love you. Come back alive, idiot."

Naruto smiled and gave a thumbs up. He learned to make a promise like this from Lee all those years ago.

"I promise I'll be out soon," he said.

He looked at Sasuke and then Sakura and let his hand drop. Sakura drew a kunai from a pouch on her belt and cut a hole into the thin paper covering. She stepped out of the way as Naruto walked forward. He put his hands in the opening and pushed it open wide enough for him to squeeze through, and he slide inside into the dim light coming from an opening at the top of the tree. He saw a man who a circular machine, supported by six thick, squat, and metal legs, enveloped by it from the waist down. The man leaned forward, red hair hanging over his face and his emaciated torso exposed, and black, metal rods projected out from his back. Next to him a blue-haired woman in the black robes of the Akatsuki stood and watched Naruto, holding a kunai to who Naruto presumed was Itachi, bound and kneeling on the ground. Naruto realized the man was Pain.

"You don't have to use a hostage. I just want to talk," he said.

Pain looked up at him, revealing the purple spirals covering his eyes.

He said, "You could attack me now. I know you hate me…your desire for revenge would be justified, just as mine. How can you still believe what Jiraiya sensei taught you?"

Naruto felt his usual passion to overcome any challenge and the warmth he had felt moments ago disappear. The hate he had felt came flooded him through and through, drowning it all out, and when he opened his eyes to stare at the man who had killed Tsunade in front of his eyes they were crimson, bisected by the vertical pupils of Kyuubi.

"I do hate you. On the way here I tried to forgive you, but I couldn't. I looked at Sasuke or thought of the village, but…I won't attack you. I said I wanted to talk. I just want your answer to my question," he said.

Pain looked into Naruto's eyes for a moment, almost searching, and then shook his head.

He said, "It amazes me you are as idealistic as Jiraiya when you've seen the true face of the ninja world. Violence. Death. Selfish desire. Each nation fights the others and looks for some advantage, leading to war after war that results in only the shortest peace until someone begins the next. The only way to force peace on people is to make them suffer so they'll never go to war again, and I intend to do that. With the power of the tailed beasts I will create weapons and give them to all the nations so they will kill hundreds of thousands in their petty wars. Then there will be peace until that generation has died along with the memory of the great pain they have suffered, and the next generation will use the weapons too, creating another generation of peace. I can see no other way for any peace to come to us. What is your answer to that? Why will you ask me to justify myself if there is no alternative?"

Naruto looked into the ocean of hatred within, ideas and responses calling out to him, battering against him, but he could not see an answer among them. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He knew only that the answer Pain had reached was not the right one. He shouted it.

"I wanted to ask how someone like you could turn out like this after being taught by Jiraiya sensei! He taught me to look for peace no matter what. I hate you, but I want to hear your story before I give my answer," he said.

He saw that Pain had widened his eyes. He watched Naruto for a moment before nodding slightly.

He said, "I've had two great pains in my life."

The blue-haired woman looked up at him.

"Nagato…" she said.

Naruto remembered that was his name. Jiraiya had said it a long time ago.

Nagato said, "It's alright, Konan. I won't take long. If he wants to understand I'll tell him."

Naruto locked eyes with Nagato, the crimson changing back to blue. His anger cooled as he waited for the story to come. Nagato inhaled and exhaled deeply before he began his first story.

"When I was little, I lived with my parents in the Land of Rain, during one of the Great Shinobi Wars…"

* * *

><p><strong>The next few chapters will be Nagato's story. Sorry to leave you guys with a cliffhanger, but I'll get the next chapters out soon! :P<strong>


	25. Nagato's Story: Part 1

A boy, nine or ten, sat in a wooden chair that was for someone bigger than him, pushed up to a small, square table in a well-lit kitchen. The patter of rain was the only noise. He wore a white shirt and tan shorts without shoes, and to his left his mother, a short, thin woman with red hair, and to his right his father, a tall, brown-haired, and somber man, sat eating. Through his long, red hair he stared at the bowl filled with steaming broth and noodles and at the adjacent chopsticks, but he did not want to eat. The explosions he heard when he was outside a few hours ago, playing in the mud and rain, set him on edge and killed any appetite he had. His parents might get angry with him for not eating, but they could not be furious anymore. He had eaten a lot less since the war had entered the Land of Rain, bringing with it the constant fighting and nervousness. His father set down his chopsticks and cleared his throat.

"Nagato," he said, his voice harsh and demanding, "You should eat. We don't want the food to go to waste."

Nagato nodded and picked up the chopsticks, because he was too timid to refuse. His father had been a lot angrier since the fighting started and all of their neighbors had left, leaving them the only people for miles around. Nagato's mother looked at him as he fished out some noodles and slurped them down, and Nagato looked back into her blue eyes, bloodshot and with bags under them. He forced a small smile despite the sick feeling he got from the noodles in his stomach. She smiled back, a soft smile he had not seen for weeks, as Nagato looked back at his bowl and reached in for a few more noodles, hoping he could eat it all and avoid his father's rage if he took it slow. He heard his dad sigh and shift his weight and could tell his temper had cooled

His father said, "Maybe we should leave like everyone else, Harumi. I don't think we can last much longer with this fighting going on constantly."

Nagato chewed on the noodles he put into his mouth and looked up at his father then his mother. His father was staring at her, but she still looked at Nagato, smiling. She reached forward and stroked his hair, pushing it back from his blue eyes and making him shiver as he swallowed.

She said, "No, Masao. We need to wait it out. We can't let Nagato grow up a refugee like we did when our parents had to run away from war. We've fought and worked to make this place ours, haven't we?"

Nagato flinched as Masao stood and pushed his chair back. His dad let his head hang, concealing his eyes from all but the reflection in what remained of his soup. His mother withdrew her hand and looked at Masao too, and Nagato did not know what to do but fish around in his noodles, averting his eyes from the two. His dad had been talking about his desire to leave the house for a while. His mother had managed to rein him in, but she was having less success than usual. His dad took in a breath slowly and let it go just as slowly. Nagato recognized it as his dad's way of controlling his emotions and clearing his head.

He said, "You're right, I'm sorry…I'm just not sure if staying here would be better than being refugees. We've been lucky so far, but the war isn't dying down. I heard that Konohagakure was sending its forces to the Land of Rain to join the war while I was visiting Amegakure last week."

Masao let the threat of what he had said hang in the air and speak for itself. Nagato chewed on the noodles and stared ahead, but his mind raced inside of the outer lack of expression. He did not want to leave his home. The walls of his home and his mother had always kept him safe, and he did not want to face the endless trek in the rain, away from the place he had grown up. Despite himself tears welled up in his eyes. He swallowed and shoved more noodles into his mouth, feeling his parents' worried eyes settle on him. He heard his mother speak first.

She said, "Let's stay until the end of the week, and if it gets any worse we can leave."

Nagato relaxed a little as he heard his dad grunt something that sounded like agreement and left the table with his bowl. He swallowed and reached for more noodles when his mother's hand touched his face and wiped away the tears, making his hand freeze in place, and Nagato looked back into her tired eyes that were the same shade of deep blue as his. His mother had told him that red hair and blue eyes were the traits of all the Uzumaki clan. She had told him a lot of stories about their clan to comfort him at night, and he often wished he could meet the rest of their family. But his mother had told him that the Uzumaki had fled across the world since they had lost their country to war and that the Land of Rain was now her family's home. It did not stop Nagato from dreaming of a place without rain, though, a place with sun-lit, grassy hills and a river like in his mother's stories, a place without the constant fighting that kept him up and made Nagato's dad so angry and frustrated. His mom shook his shoulder and kissed him on the forehead.

"You don't have to eat all of your food, Nagato. I'm proud of you for getting through so much when you're nervous," she said, "I'll pick it up for you later. Let's just get ready for bed."

Nagato was going to stand when a loud knock came at the door into the hallway behind him, making his mother stand up and open her eyes wide. Nagato twisted around to see his dad come down their single flight of stairs into the hallway and rush up to the door to look out a small slot cut into it to look outside. He leaned back, quietly slid down the metal covering for the slot, and stepped back from the door. He looked into the kitchen and waved his hand at Nagato and Harumi, and Nagato felt himself start to shake. His dad had never backed away from the door like that, so cautiously, unless it was something dangerous outside. Harumi picked Nagato up and walked to her husband, bare feet making no sound on the wooden floor, and Massao turned to open the door to a small closet beneath the stairs. Nagato closed his eyes to avoid the feeling of claustrophobia as his mother carried him in, his father's footsteps following soon along with the gentle closing of the door.

His dad whispered, "They're ninja from Konohagakure. I don't know what they want."

Nagato buried his head against his mother's shoulder and wished it would all go away. He told himself that he would be safe since his dad was here, because nothing bad ever happened with his dad around. He shut his eyes tighter when he heard the front door burst open; the voices of two men broke the silence after their feet had clicked against the wooden floor.

A deep voice said, "This place must have been abandoned.'

A higher and younger voice said, "It can't have been too long ago. The kitchen light's still on, and there's still fresh food here."

The footsteps migrated into the kitchen, and cabinets loudly opened up to the rustling of the two men pilfering what was there. Nagato imagined two tall, white-masked men wearing all black clothes, which was the appearance of the men his mother said had destroyed her homeland and a form that filled many of Nagato's nightmares, chasing after him endlessly. Tears again began to flow involuntarily from his eyes. His mother patted him on the back and rocked back and forth to calm him down. Nagato felt his head bump against some of the junk sharing the closet with them – he thought it felt like a clay pot – and caused it to come loose, falling next to him and shattering. Nagato expected his father's anger and held more tightly to his mother, his tears flowing freely. She had stopped rocking, and his father's anger did not come. The footsteps outside ceased.

The younger voice said, "What was that?"

The older voice did not respond. Nagato's shaking grew as the footsteps clicked against the floor again, coming towards the closet, and he clung as hard as he could as his mother forced him off of her to sit alone in the closet. He saw his father pass his mother something dark and metallic, the two nodding in agreement at one another. His mother turned back to him and whispered in the dark.

She said, "Nagato, we're going to distract them. Run as fast as you can. We'll come find you soon, ok? Just don't stop running."

He could not tell if his mother's voice was shaking. He was beginning to lean towards her and formulate a question when the door burst open, light flowing in, and his father leaped out, his mother close behind, holding a black kunai towards the two ninja who had opened their eyes wide and raised their hands in a defensive position. Nagato could not move as he watched the older ninja deflect first his father's and then his mother's kunai with their own kunai. Then the two ninja each stabbed one of his parents. The two fell to the floor with a soft thud. Nagato was shaking so hard and so afraid he could barely think. The two ninja looked at him then his parents, stepping back and dropping their kunai.

The older ninja said, "Th-they attacked us, w-we didn't know they were civilians. We're sorry kid…we didn't know."

Nagato felt something else entirely now. He felt hatred, pure and strong. The sharp burning in his eyes did not distract him as he looked at the two in a bloody haze and lifted his hands towards them. He did not know what he was doing, his body was moving on its own in response to what he felt, and he surrendered to it. He saw blue light leaving the men, who froze in place, and flowing towards his hands, disappearing into his open palms until the stream disappeared entirely. The two men collapsed to the ground, as lifeless as his parents lying in a pool of their own blood in front of him. Nagato felt exhausted and fell completely limp. His anger left him, replaced with a creeping fatigue as he succumbed to sleep. Where there had been blue eyes, now his half-closed eyes showed his pupil surrounded by concentric circles of purple, which disappeared beneath his eyelids as he lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>Nagato had wandered in the rain for weeks. When he had woken up and seen his dead parents, he had cried for hours and yelled at them to wake up, but he knew he could not stay there forever and that they would never wake up. He found his grey, plastic raincoat and backpack in his room upstairs and tiptoed around the four bodies in the hallway into his kitchen to pack what food he could take. He then pulled his hood up and stepped out into the endless rain without looking back. He had watched footstep after footstep sink and squish in the brown-grey mud until his legs grew tired. The first day of walking he had seen the outline of a house from far away and gotten excited, but then he saw it was half-reduced to rubble and abandoned when he came closer. He slept in the creaking, empty ruin to find shelter from the rain. In another abandoned house he had stayed over the last several weeks in which he saw a puffy hand sticking out of a pile of rubble that gave off a wretched scent. That was when he realized the war had made these houses empty and dead and grey too.<p>

He wanted to fall down to his knees as he kept on walking in the rain. He wanted to cry and have his father pick him up and carry him, but he reminded himself that he would never see his father again. He did not think he could cry anymore, anyways. He looked up from his feet to look in the distance and saw the dull outline of a house, dome-shaped with a grey, concrete exterior like all of the others in the Land of Rain. It did not excite him beyond the mild satisfaction of knowing there was a place to stay for the night. If Nagato were lucky there would still be good food to eat, left by the refugees. He had run out of food several days before and had a constant, dull pain in his stomach from the hunger.

Then he got closer and saw there was light in the windows, the warm kind of light he saw when his parents were making dinner for him while he was out to play. Nagato's heart began to beat faster, and he started to run, putting his hands on his backpack straps to keep it from shaking around. He could only think of food, warmth, and the company of happy people as he skidded to a stop at the door and nearly fell. He knocked as hard as he could on the thick, wooden door. It opened, and a middle-aged man with short, grey hair looked down at him. Nagato looked back up.

He said, "Could I have some food, please?"

The man's eyebrows furrowed, and he shook his head. Nagato opened his mouth to say more, his hair falling out of his eyes. The man lost his concerned expression and raised his eyebrows, shrinking back from the doorway.

He said, "N-no, we barely have enough for ourselves. Go away, you little freak."

The door slammed in Nagato's face, and Nagato fell to his knees. He did not know why the man had called him that. Then he realized it had to be something about his face. He bent down and looked into a puddle, pushing his hair back so he could see his eyes, and he stood up in shock when he saw the circles that covered them. He turned around and shook his head so his hair fell back into his eyes, running. He ran for longer than he could remember before he had to stop, feeling the pain in his stomach and heaviness in his limbs. He wanted to eat, but the only thing he could do was take off his backpack and pull out a bottle of water to take a drink. He put the bottle back and stared at the backpack for a moment, feeling sleepy. He wanted to stop and sleep, regardless of the mud and rain. He shook his head and remembered what his mother had told him: to run. He could not stop here. He pushed himself off the ground and picked up the backpack, stumbling from slight dizziness, and then he began to walk again.

He stared at his feet and kept going for a few hours. The world grew darker and darker in his vision, and his body began to feel numb. Finally he fell to his knees and then flat on his face, managing to turn his head so the mud would not smother him. He blinked and thought about his eyes, and he thought he hated them for making him into a freak, like the man in the warm house had said. Images of his father and mother floated through his mind, smiling at him. He wondered if they would be ashamed of him, giving up in the rain like this. He focused on the rain again and saw with his fuzzy vision a female in the rain. Nagato swore it was his mother, and as she drew closer he closed his eyes and tried to bury his face in the mud, because she must be angry with him, having been looking for him for so long.

He mumbled, "I'm sorry, mom…" into the mud and gave up trying to stay awake.

He woke up leaning against something hard, his body hurting. He could not feel the rain anymore, and his eyes fluttered open. He was in a grove of trees, leaning against one of their trunks. A girl with dark blue hair, around his age, wearing a grey raincoat and wearing a white, paper flower in her hair, was staring at him. Here eyes were a pleasant light brown and reminded him of the deformity of his own, so he looked down at his lap to hide his eyes. He heard her laugh before dropping something in his lap, and Nagato looked down to see a piece of bread. He grabbed it and started shoving it in his mouth as quickly as he could.

The girl said, "You don't have to hide your eyes, I like them."

Nagato did not respond. He was so hungry he could not swallow fast enough, and with his latest bite he nearly choked, coughing so hard his whole body shook. He heard the girl stand up, shifting in the mud.

"You haven't eaten in a while, have you?" she said.

Nagato nodded as he cleared his throat of the piece of bread and took the last bite. He did not know her, but she had said she liked his eyes, so he was not afraid to look up at her. He tried to ask her name through the bread in his mouth. She raised an eyebrow.

She said, "My name's Konan, if that's what you said. What's yours?"

He swallowed the last piece and took a moment to breathe. He wanted more, but he did not want to be rude.

He said, "Nagato."

Konan held her hand out to Nagato, and he grabbed it, letting her pull him up. He still felt light headed and shaky. He almost thought this was a dream and that he was still lying in the muddy field. Then Konan drew a large umbrella from the bag on her back and opened it over them.

"I found you lying not very far from here, face down in the mud. Are you an orphan too?" she said.

Nagato nodded. He did not want to talk about his circumstances beyond that. He had almost forgotten his parents lying dead in coagulated blood in their home, but it came rushing back. He did not sob, although tears came to his eyes. Konan frowned at him.

She said, "I know a place where you can have more food and be safe. There's another guy there, an orphan like us, who I've been staying with us. Let's go and get you something else to eat."

Nagato closed his eyes and nodded again. Konan started to walk, and he followed under the umbrella with her, not saying a word, staring at his feet again. He did not know what to say. He just wanted to eat and go to sleep.


	26. Nagato's Story: Part 2

Nagato pulled his raincoat shut and shivered. He sat against a dirt wall in a cave, lit by a lone lamp hanging from the ceiling of the chamber, and the gusts of wind from the dark, rainy outdoors blew in through the mouth, across the cave from him, and chilled him deeply. There were wooden crates and baskets stacked against the walls, full of food, cooking utensils, clothes, and too many knick knacks for Nagato to recall. He looked up to see Konan, still in her raincoat, at the mouth of the cave, arguing with a boy in his own raincoat that was a little taller than Nagato and had brown eyes and spiky, orange hair. When Konan had brought him to the hideout, the other boy – was Yahiko his name? – had starting yelling at Konan and waving his hands around, and Nagato strained to listen to their conversation against the patter of the rain.

Yahiko said, "Why do we need someone like that? We don't have enough to share, and he's a wimp! All he's done is sit in the corner and stare at the ground."

Nagato saw Konan put her hand on Yahiko's shoulder, and Yahiko closed his eyes and let his arms fall back to his side. Nagato wished he knew why the girl was so kind to him. She had let him eat a few loaves of bread and some carrots despite Yahiko's rejection of their guest.

Konan said, "Let's give him a chance, Yahiko. He's like us. He doesn't have parents or anywhere to go…I'm sure he can help."

Yahiko looked at Nagato, catching his eyes. Nagato did not know why he blushed and felt nervous, but he did, so he looked back down. He heard Yahiko's deliberate footsteps across the dirt floor, Konan's close behind, and began to shake. He did not want to walk in the rain again. The footsteps ceased in front of him, and he slowly looked up to Yahiko, who was looking down at him with a blank expression. Nagato was going to start begging when the blank face turned into a smile. Yahiko held out his hand to him.

He said, "Hey, you've got some weird eyes…but I'll give you a chance. You wanna steal something?"

Nagato's parents had told him stealing was bad. However, he was not going to get himself kicked out of the only place that would take him over that rule, and he nodded, grabbing Yahiko's hand and getting pulled up. They stood closer than Nagato was comfortable with. Yahiko continued to look into his eyes as he held his hand, still holding a smug grin.

"Well, then we can go in the morning. I've been craving fish for weeks," He said.

He released Nagato's hand and ran to one of the wooden crates, digging through it. Nagato stood, now looking off into the black at the mouth of the cave, and let his hand drop, and he felt a pang of excitement at the thought of breaking the rules. He had never done anything his parents did not want him to do. Konan walked closer to him and smiled.

"Nagato, do you want something else to eat?" she said.

Nagato nodded and mumbled his assent. Konan reached forward and pushed his hair, which fell into his face because of its length, out of his eyes, and Nagato looked at her as she turned around and dug into a small crate of tomatoes.

She said, "You should cut your hair so it doesn't hide your eyes."

Nagato smiled as he caught the tomato she threw at him. She had made him feel much better about his eyes just by the time she had spent with him that day, and he was hoping he could be her friend. He was not sure what he felt about Yahiko, but at least Yahiko put him at ease with his sheer confidence and energy. Nagato felt he could follow him and feel safe in whatever they did. He bit into the tomato as Yahiko pulled out three bedrolls from the crate and threw them on the ground, and Konan kneeled to the ground to unroll them and arrange them in a row. Nagato swallowed and felt guilt over doing nothing.

He said, "C-can I…help?"

Yahiko looked at him and paused, thinking. When he smiled at Nagato and snorted, Nagato thought the look of joy was confusing. What was so funny to him?

"Wow, it talks," Yahiko said, "Well…you can put up the rain curtain. Consider it your initiation."

Nagato said, "What's initiation?"

Yahiko shrugged as if he should not have to explain.

He said, "Uh…I don't know, it's like what people do to people who want to join their group. Back home the older kids always initiated the younger kids into school. Just do it."

Nagato did not understand the concept, but he would put the rain curtain up anyways to get rid of his guilt. He carefully set the tomato on one of the bedrolls. Yahiko pointed towards a tarp bunched up next to the mouth of the cave. Nagato saw two metal, upturned hooks on either side of the top of the entrance and realized he had to hang the tarp up. He walked to the pile of shiny fabric and dug around in it, looking for a hole to hang it on. When he found a hole in it he dragged it over to the mouth of the cave and held it above his head to try to put it on the hook, but he could barely reach. The cold rain slapped against him on top of the biting wind, making him begin to shiver. Nagato jumped and put it on the hook then quickly started to look for the other hole before he had to get any colder. He decided that initiation, whatever the exact details of it were, was a bad thing. It took a few more tries for him to jump up and hang the other end on the hook, and he ran to the back of the cave and sat down again, pulling his knees up against his body and letting his teeth chatter. He wanted the cold to go away. The temperature in the cave immediately went up without the wind blowing and took away some of his discomfort.

Konan walked up to him and crouched down, and she poked him in the arm. Nagato looked up and saw her frowning. He assumed she was worrying about him.

She said, "Yahiko's so mean, making you go freeze to death when you're starving. Get out of that raincoat and those wet shoes. If you get in the bedroll you'll be a lot warmer."

Nagato nodded and stood up, pulling off his grey raincoat and his black boots, which were falling apart after weeks in the mud and rain. He wore long, black pants and a filthy, white shirt underneath. He picked up the tomato off of the bedroll, which lay between the other two, all three with the feet facing towards the mouth of the cave, and slipped into it, and he laid his head on the small, built-in pad at the top of the roll. He felt himself getting warmer, although he still shivered violently. He rolled on his side and took a bite out of the tomato before setting it down again. His mother would buy him tomatoes when they went to town, before the war, and eat them with him in their warm kitchen, and Nagato remembered his father smiling – he seldom did, even before the war – whenever he joined them to eat and talk. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be warm and cared for. Nagato felt hot tears trails down his cold face, and he could not suppress his rough breathing and a few quiet sobs.

He heard Konan and Yahiko whispering harshly, probably arguing. Then he saw a pair of feet stand over the bedroll he was facing and kick off their shoes. Yahiko crawled into it and turned to face him, resting his head on his arm and looking at the floor, wearing a long-sleeved, white shirt. His former, cocksure smile was nowhere to be found, replaced by guilt.

He said, "I'm sorry. It's my bad for making you put up the rain curtain. I just thought it would be funny to…hey, are you ok?"

Nagato muttered something through his sob and moved his hand up to wipe his tears away, but Yahiko caught Nagato's arm with his free hand and held it to the ground. Nagato saw that Yahiko begun to frown and leaned his head a little closer. He thought it almost looked like Yahiko was sad and worried.

Yahiko said, "You must've not been an orphan for long. Me and Konan lost our parents a long time ago…we cried all the time at the start…Isn't your name Nagato?"

"Yes…" Nagato said.

Yahiko let Nagato's arm go, and Nagato let it lie on the bedroll, looking away from Yahiko to some vague point on the ground. He did not want to look like a wimp in front of someone as tough as Yahiko, especially when he had already called Nagato a wimp. His shivering had gone down, but Nagato shook a little harder when Yahiko's free hand wiped the tears out from under his eyes. Now he met Yahiko's eyes.

He said, "Nagato, you can cry all you want, we won't get angry. Me and Konan'll take care of you… Try to sleep. If you go to sleep when you're this tired you won't have any bad dreams."

Nagato said, "Ok…"

The light in the cave went out. Nagato heard Konan settling into her bedroll, and then he felt her as she cuddled against his back. Yahiko retreated into his bedroll and pulled it up to his chin. He scooted until his body was against Nagato's too, and Nagato furrowed his eyebrows.

"W-why are you two cuddling with me?" he said.

A smile graced Yahiko's face, returning to get rid of the sadness that made no sense on Yahiko's face. Nagato liked it when Yahiko smiled, because it made him feel safe and confident. Yahiko gave off an air of absolute certainty about what he did and said, and Nagato had missed the absolute safety of so many weeks ago more than anything.

Yahiko said, "We cuddle so we stay warmer at night. Since you're in the middle you're warmest…you'll need it, shivering so bad."

Nagato nodded. It made a lot of sense, and he had almost stopped shivering. He moved his body around to get comfortable and closed his eyes. Consciousness began to fade to oblivious sleep, and he heard a little of Yahiko and Konan's murmuring.

Konan said, "Thanks for apologizing, Yahiko."

Yahiko snorted.

He said, "Eh, I'll try to get used to this guy. We just need to get him to talk more."

"Uh-huh," Konan said, "Good night, Yahiko."

Yahiko said, "Night Konan."

In the hazy state of half-awareness he had entered, Nagato could have sworn he was back home, lying between his parents in their bed. Their warm bodies surrounded and pressed against him and put him at a total ease, letting him gently float away to his dreams. It was nice to be home.

He murmured, "Good night..."

* * *

><p>Hundreds of people filled the market square of Kurume. It was a large, stone-paved area in the midst of the crowded city around it, and vendors of food and clothes set up carts and booths all over it. In the midst, pushing through the throng, Nagato walked with Konan and Yahiko on either side, all three wearing their raincoat with the hood pulled up. Yahiko and Konan had told him he could never be too safe, so Nagato submitted. A clear day in the Land of Rain never lasted long. He remembered his father telling him that on days when the rain stopped, the sky clear of clouds, people flocked to the streets, restless from staying indoors much of the year, and today he could see clearly in the sunlight and could smell the trash and greasy street food whose scents the rain usually annihilated. While he thought he tripped on an upturned cobblestone and would have fallen but for Yahiko grabbing his arm and giving him a chance to regain balance. Nagato stood up between his two companions and stopped, staring down at the ground, and a red blush grew on his cheeks. He had already embarrassed himself after ten minutes being in Kurume. He looked up to see his companions staring at him, Konan smiling and Yahiko with his arms crossed and a frown.<p>

Yahiko said, "What're ya standing there acting all embarrassed about? We don't want to make people suspicious. Come on."

Yahiko shook his head and turned, walking into the crowd. Nagato blushed harder and started to follow, but Konan stopped him. He had stayed with the two one night and already felt awful for disappointing Yahiko. He expected a reproach from Konan, but she reached out and brushed his red bangs so they fell and covered his eyes. She took a hold of his hand and pulled him after her into the crowd, so Nagato followed, hoping to make up for messing up with his obedience. He almost cringed when Konan finally started to lean back to him and talk as they pushed through.

She said, "Don't worry about Yahiko, he's just got a bad temper. It's not your fault you tripped so…don't feel bad. I think I know where he went."

Nagato held on tightly. He did not want to get lost somewhere strange, but he still shook from fear of what he had to do. The people who stole, they hurt people and lived out in the wasteland created by the war. He did not want to be one of those people. He was reconsidering coming along when they pushed between two more people and arrived at a large stand with crates full of fresh bread on the counter, a red awning hanging over the whole makeshift edifice to protect from the always expected rain. Nagato saw Yahiko looking at the loaves of bread, standing on his tiptoes, and Yahiko picked one up, turning to Nagato and Konan and beckoning them with a wave of his hand. Nagato felt sick to his stomach and started shaking as Konan dragged him closer. This was so wrong. He did not even know what Yahiko was planning, but the smirk and furrowed eyebrows accompanies by dark brown eyes locked on Nagato could not bring anything but trouble. They stood in front of Yahiko after walking over. Yahiko held out the bread to Nagato, who grabbed it and almost dropped it. The baker, who was a portly, squat man with a black mustache and a white apron, looked down at the three orphans in front of his stand.

He said, "Are you three going to pay for that?"

Nagato held the bread closer to him and stared down at the ground. His heart was racing, and he felt frozen to the spot. Yahiko leaned close to him and whispered into his ear.

"Grab a few more loaves and get lost in the crowd with Konan," he said, "I'll distract the guy for a second. Consider this the rest of your initiation."

Nagato almost put the bread back to try to save what shred of law-abiding decency he had, but Konan grabbed two loaves herself and yanked his arm, shaking him out of his daze. Yahiko pushed a crate of bread off of the display table onto the baker, who fell to the ground covered with loaves. Nagato knew it was too late to go back. He started walking quickly after Konan, opening his jacket and stuffing the bread in as he tried to keep his eyes on her in the crowd. He heard Yahiko yelling and more wood snapping back from the stand, but he kept going from sheer adrenal energy. He had to push his hair out of his eyes to see well, garnering a few odd glances from this or that man or woman in the crowd. He did not care if anyone saw his purple eyes, though; he only cared about keeping track of the blue hair bobbing in and out of sight.

Finally he pushed his way and came out into an area clear of people at the intersection of a street with the city square. Konan stood, standing on her toes to look in the crowd, and when Nagato waved at her she smiled and ran to him. Nagato fell on his knees before she got there and vomited. He tried to scramble to his feet. Konan grabbed his arm and pulled him down the street. The acid taste in his mouth made Nagato feel worse, and he had to focus on what was going on as hard as he could to use his free hand to hold the bread in his coat. He had left Yahiko behind to fight with the guards and the baker. He had almost failed to even carry bread out of the crowd because he could not handle pressure. Nagato wanted to die to get rid of all the shame welling up inside of him, and he reasoned he could at least go back to help Yahiko.

He said, "Konan, w-we have to h-help Yahiko."

Konan shook her head.

She said, "We do this all the time. He'll meet us back at the hideout…don't worry about him, because you're the one who got sick and threw up in public."

Nagato nodded and followed her lead without any more questions. He hoped more than anything that Yahiko was all right, and he held onto the bread in his jacket in hopes of making Konan and Yahiko happy with him when they all got back to the hideout. These two were all he had now. He had to make them happy.

* * *

><p>The silence in the cave made Nagato cringe. It was dark outside mouth of the cave, and the rain had begun again, albeit giving only a slow patter instead of a roar as in the day before. Nagato sat on the floor, a few feet away from the entrance to keep the rain from soaking him and facing out with his legs crossed. He heard Konan pouring some rice into a pot of water and holding it over the fire they had built for that night, but he would not eat until he saw Yahiko emerging from the dark grey and blue shadows looking in at him through the circular maw. He thought he could have helped Yahiko get away or at least left quickly enough that the stall vendor would not have caught Yahiko in his distraction. He let his head hang. His legs were sore from sitting for so long.<p>

Then a voice dragged him back to reality.

"Y-y-you guys shouldn't s-s-start eating without me," Yahiko said.

Nagato stood up and forced his stiff legs to run, hearing Konan's metal pot crashing to the ground. Yahiko stumbled in and fell to the ground, and when he turned over Nagato gasped and fell to his knees in front of him. Yahiko had lost his raincoat and shoes and wore only his torn white shirt and long black pants. Water and mud saturated his clothes and orange hair, causing him to shiver so hard it was more of a convulsion, and his skin was very pale except for the many purple and yellow bruises all over. Nagato knew it was bad and that Yahiko might die. He did not want his friends to die. Konan arrived and kneeled next to Yahiko's feet, frowning and furrowing here eyebrows, and to Nagato she looked more annoyed than afraid.

"Nagato, take his shirt off. It's cold and wet, " she said, "Yahiko, you could've gotten killed. What took so long?"

Nagato looked and thought about how to take the shirt off. He decided to tear it instead, grabbing one of the large rips and tearing until the shirt just fell off. Konan put her hands under Yahiko's legs and stared at Nagato, who realized he had to help her move Yahiko. He put his hands under Yahiko's back and hooked them under his armpits, and Konan nodded at him. They lifted him up, causing a loud grunt, and Konan went first and guided him to the bedroll on the other side of the fire, which had been unzipped. Nagato felt that Yahiko's body was cold, really cold. His head was rolling around loosely against Nagato's chest, and his brown eyes were half shut.

"I…got caught. T-took all d-d-day, but I g- I'm back," he said.

Yahiko's voice grew quieter with each word, and Nagato rushed with Konan to set him down. Konan pulled open the bedroll and set his legs down. Nagato lowered Yahiko's torso and made sure his head did not fall hard on the built-in pad. He looked at Konan and tried to formulate words, but he could not get it out, only think it.

Don't die.

I'm sorry.

Don't die, Yahiko.

I'm so sorry, it's my fault again.

Don't die like my parents did.

He saw that Konan frowned at him when he looked up at her, but she did not furrow her eyebrows. She put her hand on his shoulder and shook him. He knew tears were falling down his face again wanted to yell at himself for being so weak.

She said, "Nagato…it's ok. Yahiko does stupid stuff all the time. Just try to keep a clear head…what I need you to do is to get into his bedroll and lay with him to warm him up, because he needs to get warm now. I'll make some warm rice to feed him then lie down and help..."

Nagato stopped trying to speak and nodded rapidly. If this were all he could do to help, he would not disagree or delay. He lifted up the top cover. Yahiko's eyes opened and met his, and Yahiko nodded before on his side rolling so he was facing away. Nagato pulled off his raincoat and slid into the bedroll behind Yahiko, pressing close against him and pulling the cover over them. He could not hold in a quick gasp from the cold of Yahiko's body, but he pressed close all the same and put his arm around him to make it easier. He hoped it would work, because he was starting to shiver too.

The air grew in warmth when he heard the rain curtain go up and Konan jogging over to them. She pulled her bed roll up to Yahiko's and unzipped it, creating something of a continuous bed roll, and she slipped into it then pushed it close to his and Yahiko's make sure they were overlapping. Nagato was glad Konan could tell him what to do to take care of Yahiko, because he had never been out on his own to know these things. She almost was like a mom should be.

She said, "Don't worry about the rice. Let's just get him warm and go to sleep…"

Nagato could not disagree. Yahiko finally began to feel warm between the two of them, and his breathing eased. Yahiko's head turned to the side and showed Nagato one tired, brown eye surrounded by a purple bruise.

Yahiko said, "D-d-did you get the bread?"

Nagato wondered why Yahiko cared at a time like this, but he just nodded. Yahiko's head fell back to where it had been. There was a small laugh, which made Nagato close his eyes and expect the worst. Yahiko was finally going to get angry with him.

Yahiko said, "Good job, we should do it again...you're not too bad."

Nagato's eyes opened again, and he smiled. He did not have any words to reply – he never did – but the surprise made him feel warm and smile that little smile on his pale face.

He said, "Thank you, Yahiko…"

From Konan's side he heard a light snoring, and Nagato's aching limbs and lack of sleep hit him now that he was not worrying. He fell into sleep, close to Yahiko and Konan. Now Yahiko's bare back was warm, it should be, and Nagato silently rejoiced since Yahiko had not died. Yesterday he had found two people who he could be at home with. He swore to himself as the riotous imagery of dreams finally overtook his consciousness that he would never let them down.


	27. Nagato's Story: Part 3

Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko stole more from the shopkeepers of Kurume after that. There were hundreds of nights spent crushed against each other to protect against the chill, but after three years Yahiko could not take it anymore. Wandering the desolate and violent plains of the Land of Rain, he found someone who would take care of them. Yahiko wanted to learn ninjutsu, but the ninja would not agree to teach the orphans. The man was from the village that killed Nagato's parents. But Nagato said nothing.

Nagato and Konan followed Yahiko without question. They did not know what else to do, and he gave them the direction they needed to keep going. Nagato felt his devotion to Yahiko change its shape over the years, and the nights pressed against one another he enjoyed for more than their warmth when he lay next to Yahiko. He hugged Yahiko tighter, telling himself he was keeping Yahiko warm. He noticed Yahiko would scoot closer to him return the embrace. Nagato said nothing, not even to Konan, who he had talked to about losing his parents, unsure of what he felt each night sleeping together in the cave and in the house their new teacher their built for them. That is, he said nothing until the day Yahiko almost died.

* * *

><p>A small, wooden house stood in the middle of an interminable and rainy field. Grey was the sole color for miles on end, slapping against the clay tile roof in the form of raindrops and falling in front of the porch down below. A thin boy in his early teens with neck-length, red hair that covered one of his eyes sat cross-legged on the porch on a small rug and watched the dead distance outside of the home, taking note of the aroma of boiling rice coming from the open sliding door. His exposed eye did not have an iris, pupil, or white, but a concentric, purple set of circles covered it from the center and outwards. He looked down into a puddle in front of him and saw his eyes. They had come to him without asking. He used to hate them, but Nagato had cared less and less about them the three years he had spent with Konan and Yahiko. Now he had a home with them and someone to watch over them. He did not feel peace or satisfaction today, though.<p>

Nagato saved Yahiko earlier that day. They were walking in the rain to let out some energy, being restless boys stuck in a house for week after week. Their sensei, a young man with long, spikey white hair from Konohagakure who called himself Jiraiya, had let them go alone, not believing there was any combat nearby. Nagato could still remember what had happened with a blush and guilty gaze at the ground. Yahiko had stopped him and grabbed his arm after they had walked awhile without talking, and he started moving closer to Nagato.

He had said, "You like sleeping next to me, don't you? I feel you hugging me and always scooting closer…don't look embarrassed. I like it too."

Nagato had nodded and looked away. It bothered him that he was so transparent. Yahiko leaned his face close to his and closed his eyes, and Nagato drew his eyes back to stare at the approaching face. He did not know what to expect.

Yahiko said, "When people like each other they kiss. You know what that is, right? I'm sure you saw your mom and dad do it."

Nagato nodded and fuzzily recalled his parents kissing when they would tell each other good night or thought he was not around, but that was something parents did. He tried to move out of the way. He could not make himself move. He stared at Yahiko, who was leaning forward and now staring at him with raised eyebrows. Nagato knew he wanted to, so he gave in and closed his eyes (what could it hurt?), slowly leaning forward and feeling his lips press against Yahiko's. He felt Yahiko press his lips harder against his and did so himself. His heartbeat picked up, and the confusion from earlier turned into a satisfaction and desire to keep doing this. He was going to reach up and touch Yahiko's face when a popping sound in the mud made them break the kiss and stumble away from one another. Nagato saw a kunai planted in the ground where they had been standing.

"What the fuck are you two kids doing?"

Nagato saw a ninja, wearing a cloud insignia on his headband and a flak jacket over his ninja uniform, land behind Yahiko and punch him in the back of the head, making him fall unconscious to the ground. The ninja was clean-shaven and dark-skinned, his short, black hair pinned up by the headband. A soft footfall in the mud made Nagato lunge forward, but a large arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him back. Nagato struggled, flailing his arms and legs, but did not have the strength to escape. The ninja standing over Yahiko looked at him and sneered, shaking his head.

He said, "You two didn't turn out right. I guess I won't feel bad about taking all you've got and killing you, just two little fags without any families to take care of you."

Nagato looked at Yahiko, his orange hair sticking up in the air and his face in the mud, and gritted his teeth. These men could not take away Yahiko as long as Nagato could fight, and he had sworn to protect Yahiko. He felt a burning feeling course up his arms and instinctively grabbed the thick arm wrapped around him. Blue light began to flow in his fingers from the ninja's skin, and the grip grew looser and looser. When the stream disappeared the man collapsed. Nagato looked at his hands then turned his eyes to the ninja over Yahiko, who had drawn a kunai and was slowly stepping forward. Nagato was going to kill him.

The ninja said, "Well, got a trick up your sleeve. Come here so I can kill you."

Nagato ran at him, his hands held out in front of him. He felt the burning sensation crawl up his arms, and he knew he had to release whatever was building up before it flew out of him. The ninja began to bring the kunai down on him. Nagato closed his eyes and yelled. The awful burning left his arms in an instant. He felt weak and fell down on the ground. He opened his eyes and saw Yahiko, his face half-turned to the side and blank without consciousness. Nagato's eyes closed again and he smiled, and he was too tired to open them until Jiraiya got there. He heard the rapid footsteps come to a stop not far from him.

Jiraiya said, "Nagato, Nagato!"

Nagato opened his eyes and rolled over. Jiraiya was standing over him in his jonin vest and holding out a hand to help him up, so Nagato grabbed it and stood up, locking his knees so he would not fall back down. He suddenly remembered what had happened to Yahiko.

"Uh…" he said, "…is Yahiko…ok?"

Jiraiya put his hand on Nagato's shoulder and stared him in the eyes for a moment. Yahiko would have never come out here if Nagato had not agreed to come, and if he had not kissed him they would have seen the ninja coming and run away. Nagato looked down at Yahiko, who was now face up but still unconscious and caked with mud. He felt so awful he wanted to disappear.

Jiraiya said, "He's fine, we just need to get him back…did you do that?"

Jiraiya waved his hand to the area on the other side of Yahiko. Nagato looked and saw the body of the cloud ninja hundreds of feet away, twisted into a position that was impossible for a living human to get into. Nagato nodded and looked back at Yahiko, and now tears formed in his eyes. He had not meant to kill anyone. Jiraiya did not say anything, but he reached down and picked up Yahiko. He began to walk to the house. Nagato followed behind and cried silently, and they did not speak a word to each other. Konan's eyes had widened when she saw them approaching. When Jiraiya went inside with Yahiko he slid the door shut behind him.

Now Nagato was on the front porch, and Jiraiya was inside with Yahiko and Konan, tending to Yahiko. Nagato did not know what the power was. It must come from his eyes. They had never looked like this when he lived with his parents, and he remembered the burning he had felt watching the two ninja come to attack him at his old house. A chilly wind blew. His hands pulled his raincoat more tightly shut, and he closed his eyes against the gust carried. He heard the door slide open and did not turn to look.

Jiraiya said, "You can come in and see him, Nagato. You didn't have to stay out here…"

Nagato half opened his eyes and stared into the puddle in front of him. He could not believe Jiraiya could not see how ashamed he was.

"It was my fault we went out there and got caught…I don't want him to be angry with me," he said.

A short, soft laugh broke up the monotonous patter of rain. Nagato's eyes opened fully and he turned around to see Jiraiya covering his mouth, which was in a smile. Nagato slowly stood and stared at Jiraiya, and he could not understand why Jiraiya would laugh at his shame. Jiraiya took a breath and put his hand down, the smile mostly gone.

He said, "Yahiko wants to see you. Don't beat yourself up over it, Yahiko's the one who had the whole idea, so you should be angry with him, not yourself. I know I would be if he didn't get hit over the head. Come in before you freeze to death."

Jiraiya turned and walked inside, leaving the door open. Nagato walked inside, and he made sure the door panel slid quietly closed behind him. He kicked his shoes of before stepping up onto the hardwood floor of the rest of the house. He was in the large room that made up most of the building, which had four bedrolls on the ground – the one farthest to his right with Yahiko in it and Konan sitting cross-legged by it – and a low writing desk pushed up against the far wall. Two small bookshelves stuffed with books and scrolls flanked the desk. Sliding panels made up the wall on the right, leading to a kitchen, and the soft crackle of fire emitted from it. Nagato pulled off his raincoat and let it fall on the ground. He was wearing a white shirt with loose, black pants underneath. He walked to Yahiko's bed and stared at his feet, counting the steps, and he still could not help but to feel guilt for what happened to Yahiko. He was glad he had at least saved him. He would never let Yahiko do something so stupid in wartime again. When he reached Yahiko's bedroll he walked to the side opposite Konan and kneeled, staring at his knees and not speaking.

Yahiko said, "Hey, what's got you down? You kicked their asses!"

Nagato looked at Yahiko, who was grinning like it was the best thing he had ever seen and had a bag of ice underneath his head, and nodded. He was not proud of killing those ninja. Konan sighed.

She said, "Stop acting all happy about it. You acted stupid, and now he feels bad. Good job, Yahiko."

Yahiko's big grin disappeared. He looked away from Nagato for a minute, and Nagato tilted his head when Yahiko looked back and locked his brown eyes with Nagato's. Yahiko smiled now, but it was small, sincere. Nagato did not understand what he was smiling about.

Yahiko said, "Lean closer to me. I'll make it better."

Nagato blushed because he had an idea of what Yahiko meant. He did not resist and leaned forward, and he saw Konan furrowing her eyebrows. He closed his eyes and felt soft lips against his cheek. He leaned back and kept them shut, feeling the heat in his face. He did feel a lot better. The sound of metal crashing against wood made Nagato's eyes shoot open and look at the kitchen, which had its door now open. Jiraiya was standing there behind Konan with empty hands, a now empty teapot, and his mouth open, staring at them. Konan was wincing and shuffling out of the way. Nagato thought it was the kiss. But kissing was not wrong, was it? Jiraiya closed his mouth and held his hand over his eyes.

He said, "Sorry about spilling it on you, Konan…damn. I didn't know I'd have to give this talk right the same day as the ninjutsu talk. Nagato, step outside. Konan, could you pick this up."

Yahiko sat up, staring at Jiraiya, and nearly knocked Nagato over. Nagato stood up and started walking to the front door, picking up his raincoat on the way. He knew he would end up in trouble.

Yahiko said, "You'll finally teach us ninjutsu?"

Jiraiya did not respond for a moment. There was a sound of tinkling metal, probably Konan picking up Jiraiya's mess with a bitter scowl. Nagato stared at the back of the panel that opened out to the porch and slipped his shoes on, preparing himself for what was to come.

Jiraiya said, "Just…yeah. But we've got more to talk about. I'll be back in to talk to you and Konan in a minute."

Nagato opened the panel and stepped out, walking all the way to the edge and looking out in the rain. He wished he had nearly Yahiko's bravery and luck, because he hated feeling like the one who messed everything up. Jiraiya's footsteps followed him out. The panel closed.

It took a lot longer than a minute.

* * *

><p>Nagato could not believe what Jiraiya had said. He turned from the rain, which was beginning to darken as night fell, to look at Jiraiya, shaking and rubbing his raincoat. He had not been this nervous since the first time he had stolen.<p>

He said, "These eyes make me…special?"

Jiraiya looked into his eyes, his arms crossed. What had he called them? The rinnegan?

Jiraiya said, "Those're the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths. It's said in times of trouble they appear from heaven to help us out here on Earth…there was also a prophecy, that one of my students would bring great change to the world. I honestly think you're that student, Nagato."

Nagato looked down at Jiraiya's feet. The talk about how he and Yahiko needed to be careful about showing affection – but it felt so right! – or suffer the suspicion and hatred of those they met had made Nagato feel bad enough. But now he had to deal with this? He could barely contemplate hurting anyone. He could never become a shinobi.

Jiraiya said, "Those eyes give you the power to use all the types of chakra, while most ninja can only use one or two chakra types. The powers you used to kill the two ninja this morning were also from the rinnegan. I know it's a lot to hear, but you have to know. I'm going to train you and your two friends in ninjutsu so you can defend yourselves. We'll work on taming the power that you have so it doesn't act out. Do you understand, Nagato?"

Nagato nodded, still staring at Jiraiya's feet. Maybe if he could use the power he had he could protect his friends. No one could come kill them and ruin everything again, and he would not have to kill them if he could control his eyes. He could have peace. He only wanted peace. Jiraiya turned and opened the panel into the main room, and Nagato followed, dropping his shoes right inside the door and pulling his raincoat off again to throw it on the floor. Yahiko and Konan were both sitting cross-legged on Yahiko's bedroll, and they both stared at Jiraiya as he walked in. Yahiko looked over at Nagato. Nagato looked back and saw Yahiko smile. It made him smile a little back.

Jiraiya said, "Well, I guess I'll be teaching you kids. But it won't be easy!"

Nagato saw Yahiko look back at Jiraiya and show thumbs up. Nagato knew this is what Yahiko had wanted to do for a long time, and he was glad they would finally get the chance.

"I'll do the best I can to be a great ninja, sensei!" Yahiko said.

Nagato noticed Konan looked less happy. She still scowled from earlier.

She said, "Just don't keep spilling hot tea on me."

Jiraiya laughed the comment away. Nagato did not want to sit down until Jiraiya had given the rest of the talk Nagato had received outside. He stood and waited as Jiraiya kneeled at Yahiko's bedroll and gave him the same talk about what he felt, and Nagato did not listen. He just watched Yahiko with his rinnegan and smiled a little. He hoped everything would turn out well.

* * *

><p>Nagato held up his hands and stopped the kunai flying at him in midair, knocking over a tall tree next to him in the thick forest that cracked as it broke under his attack. The trees cast long shadows in the evening sun. Nagato wore a black shirt with a mesh shirt under it and tight black pants made of cloth. He also wore sandals and had strapped a pouch for kunai around his right thigh. He let his field of repulsion release and quickly jumped back as more kunai shot at him from his side. Yahiko and Konan were testing him to his limits, and he found the fight exhilarating. Jiraiya had been training them for two years now. Nagato still did not like to harm others, but the power of the rinnegan had made him lose his fear of everything. He was not the only one who had improved. Without his eyes he would not be able to fight off his two teammates, which he proved true when he used his enhanced vision to see Konan's chakra signature approaching quickly from the right, obscured by brush. He watched her forming hand seals and held his palm open towards her. When he felt the chakra flow back into his arm, exhausted from repelling the kunai, he muttered the words to activate the other power of the Deva Path.<p>

"Baso'o tenin…" he said.

Konan lifted off the ground, over the brush, wearing the same clothes as Nagato, and flew toward him, and Nagato readied his hand to grab her when she arrived. Then he heard Yahiko yell out from behind him and gave up on it, letting her drop. Keeping up with two people was difficult even with the rinnegan.

Yahiko said, "Suiton: Mizurappa!"

Nagato spun around, staring at Yahiko, who was shooting water out of his mouth in a torrent rushing towards Nagato, and began forming hand seals. Before he could complete his last seal the wave hit Nagato. He focused chakra at his feet and grit his teeth, taking a slow step towards Yahiko. He made step by step, and when he was close enough to Yahiko he focused on the energy in his arms. He spoke the jutsu name against the water.

"Shinra tensei," he said.

The water flew back, and the force made Yahiko fall to the ground and roll away. Nagato turned towards Konan, who was back on her feet and running away from him towards the bushes, and he started running after her, matching the pat of her feet against the dirt with his own pace. He was going to finish this match. He felt in his pouch and grabbed a kunai and wire, then tied the wire in the eye of the kunai, and he looked for the right spot to execute his plan. When he locked his eyes on one he focused the energy for shinra tensei and jumped, the energy of the repulsion leaving his body and making him fly a few feet ahead of Konan. Nagato threw the kunai so that it lodged in a tree on the other side of Konan and planted his feet on the ground, pulling the wire tight. He saw Konan open her eyes widely and try to duck below the thin, shining line, but she ran into it and fell on her back. Nagato pulled another kunai and pointed it down at her. Konan looked at him and rolled her eyes, telling him she had given up, and Nagato sighed and put the kunai back into his pouch. From the trees above there came a slow clapping, and Jiraiya jumped down behind Nagato.

He said, "You're all doing really well. Konan, you might just want to work on your strategy a little more. Attacking Nagato head on never works. You should know that by now."

Konan stood up and put her hands on her hips, frowning. She had more prominent hips and a swell on her chest, under the black shirt, that told how much she had grown up. She was taller too, but so were Yahiko and Nagato. Nagato looked at her and shrugged. He had won fair and square.

Konan said, "If he didn't have those eyes we'd have beat him. Just…whatever."

Jiraiya laughed. Nagato did not, but he crossed his arms and looked away from Konan. It was not his fault he got lucky with having the rinnegan, and she should not act so upset anyways. She had gotten more and more attitude recently. Jiraiya said it was their stage in life, but it bugged Nagato. He heard footsteps from behind and looked to see Yahiko, rubbing his head and wincing.

He said, "I thought I had you before you could use your shinra…thingy again. Damn, my head."

Nagato swung his head so his red hair did not fall in his eyes. He walked to Yahiko and grabbed Yahiko's hand at the wrist, pulling it away from his head, and he bent over to look at the sore spot. It was fine. He put a quick kiss on the place, buried in orange, spiky hair, anyways. This was the first time he had beaten Konan and Yahiko at once, and Nagato did not want Yahiko's pride to be hurt. Yahiko stood up straight and smiled at him. Jiraiya put his hand on Yahiko's shoulder, Konan standing behind Jiraiya with her arms crossed and scowling, and shook him.

He said, "You did really well too, Yahiko. You almost had him. Your getting a lot better with your water release, so I'll teach you a few more techniques when we train tomorrow."

Yahiko furrowed his eyebrows and looked up at Jiraiya.

Yahiko said, "But Jiraiya sense, I want to train now!"

Jiraiya shook his head, and Nagato nodded too. Nagato felt weak from using so much chakra. He had a lot if it, but he still had trouble controlling the output of the rinnegan and not wasting it. Still, it was better. It had only been recently that he could use the powers of the Deva Path without waiting long breaks in between uses. He could work on it tomorrow, now he just wanted to sit and go on a walk with Yahiko after dinner. He would also play shogi with Konan before they went to bed if her sour mood lifted.

Jiraiya said, "I've got to go into town and research for my new book after dinner, and you three have been at it all day. Give it a break, Yahiko, it's probably not going to rain for a few weeks seeing how clear it is. We've got a lot of time."

Yahiko sighed and slouched. Nagato grabbed his hand and felt a little guilt, but he would not give in and beg to stay out with Yahiko. He was too tired, his breathing long and rough and his chakra depletion making him sore. Jiraiya jumped up to a low hanging branch and waved to them, and Konan jumped up next to him.

He said, "Let's go, you two. I'm starving, and it's almost dark."

Jiraiya leaped on ahead, disappearing with Konan. The sky was turning red and dark blue. Nagato did not want to get left behind. He pulled on Yahiko's hand and got him to nod, although he kept looking at the ground and frowning, and they jumped at the same time up on the low branch where Jiraiya had been. They let their hands come apart and went home.

* * *

><p><strong>To My Readers: This is the last chapter featuring Nagato's flashback viewpoint. Next we'll be back to Naruto listening to Nagato finish his story and giving his answer. Thank you all for reading, and I appreciate your reviews!<strong>


	28. Chapter 28

XXVIII

Naruto stood alone in the darkness. He watched Nagato lean back and look up above him with his purple, deep eyes. Naruto was not sure what to say, so he waited for the rest of the story, clenching his fists and staring. The blue-haired girl stared down at the ground, expression mostly hidden by the collar of her Akatsuki cloak. Thick rope bound Itachi, hanging his head and on his knees behind Konan.

Nagato said, "We grew up, then. I loved Yahiko. The three of us started the Akatsuki to stop the wars and death that took our parents. Then the leader of Amegakure killed Yahiko, so I made myself like this to kill Hanzo and take back my home. That was my second great pain. I won't forget it until the day I'm destroyed and put out of this bloody world. But while I'm still here, I must show the world true pain. Maybe then the warring villages and nations will understand one another. I have known pain. I'll share it with the world. What's your answer to that?"

Nagato's eyelids closed, and his face looked up in the silence, waiting for an answer. Naruto looked to the side. He was shaking. He was so angry he could not think to reply, because this man claimed to have such great pain that it justified the smoking crater where Konoha once had been. Naruto knew what Nagato said about the ninja world was true, though. As long as no one understood pain, there would be war. He forced his clenched jaw open to speak.

He said, "You're right…it's hard to understand others' suffering."

Nagato's eyes opened, and he bent forward, his red hair swinging in front of his eyes. Naruto slowly turned his head to meet Nagato's gaze, and he opened his mouth and took a deep breath to slow down his shaking.

Nagato said, "Then you'll come with me?"

Naruto stared into the rinnegan and shook his head. He had no intention of letting Nagato leave with him, and he had an answer on the tip of his tongue. He had suffered great pain. He had lost almost everything again and again, but Naruto always could understand others. He had no parents. The village had hated him. Sasuke had betrayed him and nearly died after he came back. He understood Nagato right now, even though he hated him, a man without parents who had lost the one closest to him. The deep voice echoed in the paper cocoon.

"You don't even have an answer, just as naïve as Jiraiya sensei. Be quiet and come with us. Give me the power within you to bring peace," Nagato said.

Naruto rapidly stepped towards Nagato, focusing on keeping his sore legs from collapsing. He had his answer. He had to shut Nagato up before he made Naruto hurt him. He stood directly in front of the six-legged, metal circle that Nagato sat in and locked his eyes on Nagato. Nagato looked back down and did not change his expression, a completely relaxed stare. Naruto yelled at him.

He said, "You think I don't know what pain's like? I had no parents. My sensei is dead. My village _hated_ me. I almost lost the person I loved. I hate you, so much, but I understand. I have friends who _died_ today who wanted only peace. You attacked them. There has to be another way to find peace without the killing, and I'll find it."

Nagato leaned closer. Naruto felt a hand on his right shoulder and pushed it off, because he could not let this moment go. Konan stepped back from him.

Nagato said, "What other way? What else is there?"

Naruto grabbed the edge of Nagato's walker and pushed himself up. His sandals clicked against the metal. He stood close to Nagato, but Nagato only stared back. Naruto knew Nagato could kill him at any second.

Konan said, "Nagato, we have to capture him…"

Footsteps paced behind Naruto. There was a clink of metal against metal, but the sound stopped after the strike. Naruto thought Sasuke must have stopped the girl with the blue hair from attacking him. Naruto gripped and relaxed his hands and took a step closer to Nagato, whose single, spiral eye unhidden by red bangs widened. Naruto saw a wasted man who had given up. Naruto would never give up.

He said, "I'm young, and I-I don't know exactly. But I won't give up until I find the way. You gave up when life was hard. For all your power, you gave up to violence. You were brave and strong once. That's all gone. I don't know how one of Jiraiya's students could turn out like this, but I won't. I'll pursue his dream. There'll be peace, and I'll put an end to the fighting. I don't want to fight anymore."

There was quiet, a hollow silence in the shell of paper. Nagato looked without blinking, and Naruto did not move. He wondered if any of his words had reached into that dark mind. Nagato held up his hand and looked at it.

He said, "Do you truly believe that there can be an end to the violence? That was always Yahiko's dream. It became mine when he died."

Naruto nodded. He knew there had to be a way when there were people like Jiraiya and the people of Konoha to look for peace. Nagato reached out to him, and Naruto stepped back. Naruto did not understand.

Nagato said, "Then…I'll just have to help you, Kyuubi. Activate your chakra cloak. I'll need more chakra to do undo what I've done today. I'll give you your chance to bring peace, but if you can't find a way I'll find you again and finish what I started."

Naruto looked at Nagato for a moment. Could he really trust him? He couldn't do anything else, because Nagato still had the power to stop him here if his powers in the battle before were any indication. He grabbed Nagato's hand and let the hot, red chakra seep out around his body and form into the shape of the fox around him. The burning and the redness disappeared just as quickly into Nagato's hand, and Nagato's skinny form began to change. His muscles and body filled out into a lean, muscular shape. Naruto jumped back off of the walker and nearly fell backwards, but he landed in a pair of arms. Sasuke leaned against his shoulder from behind and whispered.

He said, "Don't let your guard down. He's coming after us."

Naruto said, "Don't worry, Sasuke. He'll help us."

Sasuke grunted. Naruto knew he did not buy it.

He said, "We've got to trust him…"

Sasuke did not say anymore, and Naruto saw Nagato standing up out of his walker, wearing only black pants. He held his hands up together in a hand sign and fell down on his knees on the edge of the metal platfrm. Naruto felt a sinking feeling about the jutsu about to come.

Sasuke said, "He's using a lot of chakra, Naruto. Be ready for whatever comes."

Naruto nodded and furrowed his eyebrows. Nagato sat there for a long time, and his breathing grew heavier. Naruto enjoyed Sasuke being close to him, but he still focused on his chakra in case he had to finally fight. Nagato gasped and let his hands drop then jumped down in front of the boys, the huge pieces of black metal still jutting out of his bare back. Naruto stood up on his own and pushed away from Sasuke towards Nagato.

He said, "What did you just do?"

Nagato looked at him and smiled slightly.

He said, "I brought back as many as I could with the Outer Path of Heavenly Life. I couldn't get all of the souls I took out of this world, but I did what I had to. You'll find Jiraiya sensei alive when you return."

Naruto's mouth fell open, and he felt any anger he had disappear. The paper cocoon around them fell to pieces and let the orange light of dusk filter in on them. Konan walked next to Nagato, her eyes shut.

She said, "You could've hurt yourself by using that jutsu."

Naruto watched as Nagato did not reply, still staring at him with that small smile. Sasuke stepped forward next to him and put his arm on his shoulder, and Naruto understood the signal. They had to head back to the village and see what had happened. He trusted Nagato. He understood Nagato. He and Sasuke turned to leave, back down the mountain, and Sakura was waiting for them of where the edge of the paper cocoon had been.

She said, "I feel a lot of chakra signatures returning down at the village. What just happened?"

Naruto smiled and gave a thumbs up. He knew that she would not believe what he said, but Sasuke said it first, breaking his silence.

He said, "Pain said he's bringing everyone back. I'm skeptical, but he let us go, so..."

Naruto shook Sasuke a little and made him walk forward with him. Sasuke, always so dour.

Naruto said, "I trust him, Sakura. Let's go back down to the village and see if everyone's ok."

Sakura nodded and pushed herself under his other arm. They started their slow descent, and Naruto thought how nice it would be to see everyone safe. He hoped Tsunade would not be angry that he had gone out to fight.

And Sasuke was safe, that was important. So important.

Something flew above them towards the summit, something shaped like a human body and wrapped in paper. The exposed, calm face was that of the body of Pain that had killed Tsunade.

Yahiko.

Naruto looked forward and smiled. He knew it had hurt so much to lose a loved one, but he hoped Nagato had found a place to put his hope again.

* * *

><p>Nagato grit his teeth as Konan cut through the spines on his back and made them far shorter, reducing the weight but pulling at his skin. With his legs back he would not be using the six paths as often, and maybe he could actually go out among the people of Amegakure. He would have to wait and see. Yahiko's body floated behind him, the chakra rods bundled with it.<p>

Konan said, "Why did you let him go?"

Nagato looked at the ground. It was hard to say.

He said, "I don't know. He's a strong boy, and maybe he'll succeed where I've failed. If he doesn't I can drag him back and finished what we started. We'll help him if we can."

There was silence for a while as Konan wrapped the pieces of chakra receivers in more paper and lifted them into the sky next to Yahiko. Nagato hoped Konan could understand, because he had seen a lot of himself in Naruto. The boy had a lot of potential and a strong conviction. Time would only tell the truth.

Konan said, "What about Madara? He's going to come after us if we stop contact with the Akatsuki."

Nagato said, "We'll deal with him when he comes. We know his powers, and he won't be able to defeat the power of rinnegan."

Nagato faced towards the side of the hill looking towards the Land of Rain. It was almost dark now, and they had a long journey.

He said, "Let's go."

Konan was quiet, but he knew she understood. She had not talked much since Yahiko's death. He still cared about her, and she cared about him. They could talk more when they returned to Amegakure. They could not wait any longer.

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><p><strong>Readers: We're about to wrap this up! I've got a chapter or two left to right then it'll be open for a sequel. Thank you all so much for reading.<strong>


	29. Chapter 29

XXIX

Naruto could only see the darkness of his closed eyelids and feel the numb ache of his body, but then he heard a roar of voices and feet stamping towards him. He opened his eyes, squinting in the light, and saw all the people of the village walking towards him. Iruka, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and many others who had died were alive and in the sea of people of all ages and occupations. Naruto had only half-believed Nagato had really done this, but now he believed it. He felt a hand run through the back of his hair and pull lightly and turned to Sasuke, who wore his cool, unexpressive face and was staring ahead.

Sasuke said, "We'll have to push our way through them just so you can get some rest."

Naruto felt Sakura shake his other arm.

She said, "Enjoy it Naruto. You've saved the village."

Naruto had stopped listening after Sasuke had touched his hair. These people loved him, not just the ninjas who he knew personally. The whole village that had hated him was celebrating what he had done. He broke out into a grin as they finally surrounded him, Sasuke, and Sakura and began to thank him, and he freed his arm from around Sakura to give a thumbs up.

He shook hand after hand and received a thousand pats on the back and a thousand smiles and people saying thank you. Iruka hugged him. Then Jiraiya, leaning on Tsunade with his remaining arm, hobbled into view. His face was worn, the wrinkles deeper than when Naruto last saw him, but he was very much alive.

"You've done it, Naruto. You saved the village."

Then he leaned in close to whisper.

"Did you kill Nagato?"

When Jiraiya leaned back Naruto shook his head.

"No way I could've finished him, I…I'll tell you later, sensei."

Jiraiya snorted.

"Well, enjoy it kid. You've saved us all."

Tsunade said, "Don't think you're off the hook yet. We still have to rebuild, and it'll take awhile. Once we bring back all of the shinobi who were on missions we'll get started. You'd better rest up while you can, Naruto. I want a report on everything as soon as you think you're up for it."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and smiled. He'd missed everything but Tsunade's tirades.

"Sure, old lady, I'll tell you everything…."

Naruto thought he would choke from all the people still pressing in. His lack of chakra made his eyes fall shut and his consciousness start to fade. Sasuke caught him when he nearly collapsed. Naruto dimly heard his tense voice and another firm hand gripping him.

"We've got to get him medical attention. Now!"

A confused movement of feet.

"Itachi Uchiha…?"

There were more shouts, but when Naruto's senses had recovered he was lying on a bed in a large room. Tsunade and Sasuke sat in chairs pulled up to the bed. Naruto's eyes widened when he noticed another small bed in the room. Itachi was covered up to his neck and breathing deeply, his eyes shut. Naruto sat up suddenly, causing Sasuke to grab his shoulders and press him back down.

"Lay down, you idiot. You don't have energy for _anything_."

Naruto struggled more, but Sasuke easily held him. Tsunade watched without a change in emotions. Naruto could barely get words out as Sasuke eased him back down once he had finished struggling.

"What's wrong with…Itachi?"

Sasuke now sat on the edge of the bed, his arm resting on Naruto's arm. Tsunade took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and straightened up in her seat. Naruto watch Sasuke look down and away from him, and he knew to expect something bad.

Tsunade said, "He caught you, just came out of nowhere when you collapsed. He helped us carry you here to the Uchiha compound since Sakura had to perform several critical surgeries, then he collapsed. These were some of the last good beds in Konoha. As far as I can tell from the examination he's blind and has cancer. With jutsu and surgery I can treat the cancer, but I can't do anything for his eyes."

Sasuke shook his head and sneered.

"You shouldn't be keeping ANBU here to watch him. He's harmless."

Tsunade stared at Sasuke, who met her cold, flat gaze with an equally chilly one. Naruto tried to move his arm because he wanted them to stop fighting, but he couldn't do more than move it slightly from side to side. Sasuke gave him a quick glance then went back to staring.

Tsunade said, "Don't let Naruto get riled up, Uchiha. He's the hero of the village, you know, and so are you. It's only because of you being his brother that I could get everyone to agree to keep him here with just a twenty-four hour watch. "

Sasuke's sharingan activated, and the red on black made Naruto shake his head and finally get some words out.

"Hey, guys, can we just…relax? Sasuke, I really know what would settle us down."

Sasuke sighed and turned to him. The sharingan disappeared into his dark eyes.

"What?"

Naruto smiled. As if the question had to be asked.

"Now that we've saved the village and everything…you should go get us some ramen. I'm starving, and we haven't had a meal together in forever."

Sasuke stood up and exhaled. Then he looked down at Naruto with a blank face, but that changed to a small smile.

"Fine, idiot. I'll be right back."

Sasuke walked out, the door sliding shut behind him, and Tsunade leaned her head to the side and stared at Naruto for a moment. He raised his eyebrows to ask why. She shook her head and chuckled then got up to leave.

"The way you change people, Naruto. I'll be back soon. I have to go out to the village."

Then she left, and Naruto lay there in silence. He waited for Sasuke for a little while. But he was tired and fell asleep. He really needed to rest, and he thought he deserved it. So he fell back asleep for a long time until he woke up to Sasuke sitting by his bed, watching with the ramen on the bedside table. They warmed the ramen up and ate together. Sasuke crawled into the bed with Naruto, and they didn't talk, just enjoyed a moment of peace. Then as the sun went down they both fell asleep. Naruto was ready for whatever would come in the morning.

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><p>To the Readers: I know this is a really belated ending, but I got caught up with college and all of that! I'm editing the whole story over and will post the revised chapters as I'm done. Thanks to those who are still reading, and you can look for more stories from this continuity in the future if I revisit the Naruto universe.<p> 


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